Chuck McCament An unfortunate by-product of our modern world is that we are able to avoid the sight of death and confrontations with death, the tragic result being we don’t take life as seriously as we should. To this Solomon says: “…death is the destiny of every man; the living should take this to heart.”
A tombstone in an English village cemetery has the following inscription: “Here lies a miser who lived for himself, And cared for nothing but gathering pelf, [wealth; riches] Now, where he is or how he fares, Nobody knows and nobody cares.” Solomon wrote in Proverbs 10:7: “The memory of the just is blessed, but the name of the wicked will rot.”
In Ecclesiastes 3:1-3 Solomon writes, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build.”
Stones are neither good nor bad; it all depends on what you do with them. I’ve heard it said that if an enemy fills your “land” with rocks, don’t throw them back build something out of them! “Rocks” in your life might be slander, gossip, false accusations. Use those to build, to construct an awesome witness to others of how true believers handle these things!
Whatever has us guessing, distracted, or frustrated, let us resolve that we will not get ahead of God; that we will not take matters into our own hands and end up with serious regret and sorrow in the wake of our impulsiveness. God has every intention of answering us — in His perfect time and way!
Many years ago the great protestant reformer Philipp Melanchthon (1497-1560) and some colleagues were very discouraged and depressed. While taking an evening walk he came upon a group of children in prayer about their (Melanchthon’s) trying situation. Immediately his spirits were lifted, and he told his friends, “Brothers, take courage; the children are praying for us!”