Title: In the Day of Prosperity and in the Day of Adversity
In our life, at times, we encounter the days of prosperity and days of success. However, at another times, we encounter the days of adversity and failure too. What shall we do when we encounter such days? What the Bible tells us to do during such days?
- We must understand it is God’s providence
We think the path that is straight is from God and the path that is bent is from Satan, right? It is because nobody wants to go through the path that is bent. Who wants to go through the time of destruction and failure? However, Ecc 7:13 clearly states that the path that is bent is from God as well.
Therefore, we must understand that both the straight path and the bent path are from God: they are God’s providence. Look at Apostle Paul, since he started working for God, he had a very serious eye disease that everyone around him could notice. He prayed for healing 3 times a day, and God said, “Don’t ever pray to Me for healing anymore. Your grace is enough.” It means for Apostle Paul to have such eye disease was God’s plan and will : God’s providence (2 Cor 12:7-9).
Not only the straight road but bent road are God’s plan and His providence. Why? Because it brings about the result that God is looking for. We must admit it and understand it. In the world, hegemony changes, the power goes from one country to another as time goes by. But God is a Sovereign God who rules everything from the beginning until the end. Everything is under His control and His plan.
- In the days of prosperity, be happy (Ecc 7:14)
Hebrew word for ‘be happy’ is ‘Haya BeTob.’ ‘Haya’ means ‘be, make’ and ‘Tob’ means ‘happy, good.’ So, it can be ‘be happy – make yourself happy’ but also can be ‘make it good, fill yourself with goodness.’
The founding pastor said we should understand this scripture with the latter meaning. In the days of prosperity, we should live good, we should make our life good. In Ecc 3:1-2, the Bible says that there is an appointed time for everything. Therefore, the days of prosperity are not given to us as random luck but with a clear purpose. During the days of prosperity, we have to live our life good before God. Firstly, we have to give thanks to God. Secondly, we have to live for the glory of God.
In Job 1:15, before the tribulation, Job was having the days of prosperity However, he always tried to live good before God. Of course, Job received two-fold blessing by enduring the tribulation. But we can also say that Job had the same faith during the days of prosperity and the days of adversity, this was the reason why Job could become a victor.
So, my dear brothers and sisters. If you are in good days, please do not forget about God. Live a good life before God. Live a life that pleases and glorifies God. If we forget about this principle, the days of prosperity can easily change to the days of corruption and fall. It is proven by the Christian history.
Early churches were under persecution, yet they were growing so fast. But in 313 AD, though Edict of Milan, Roman Emperor Constantine declared the freedom of faith for Christianity. Sadly, this became the moment when Christianity and all the religious leaders started becoming corrupted because as they started looking for and chasing after their own profits and well-beings. Please, remember that if we live good before God in the days of prosperity, God will remember us, and we will be in His mind.
- In the days of adversity, consider
In Ecc 7:14 NIV, it says that in the days of adversity, God told us to consider. Consider what? Firstly, even the bad days are also from God. If we look at the history of Israel, God often used the Gentile country to invade the nation of Israel to wake them up spiritually.
What about the time of slavery in Egypt, what about the time of Babylon? If we think God only gives good things according to our eyes. I think that is not the right understanding. God gives good things according to His eyes, sometimes the good things in His eyes can be the bad things in our eyes.
Secondly, consider what?
Hebrew word for ‘to consider’ is ‘RaAh’ which means ‘to consider, to inspect, to look at, to see.’ So, the founding pastor said that it means to look at yourself, to consider yourself.
We are sinners. Jesus forgave our sins and gave us a promise certificate that we are righteous. So, on the legal side, we are righteous. However, on the practical side, we are becoming the righteous. The moment when we forget that we are sinners, there is no more grace because we don’t need Jesus anymore.
If we understand that the days of adversity belongs to God, we only have one option that is to pray to God. If it is caused by God and there is no one else who can change or stop it, then we should pray to God to stop it and to save us (Ecc 7:13).
Conclusion : God cannot be fathomed
Ecc 7:14, NIV When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, a man cannot discover anything about his future.
In Christianity, we never teach that we can fathom God’s realm or God Himself. Only when God reveals Himself to us, we can get to know Him. However, even if we understand His given revelation, He is much bigger. From today onwards, let’s do what God has asked us to do in the days of prosperity and adversity, and let’s keep on looking at Him and following Him so that we will be able to be where He is and do what He is pleased with
The Lord's Covenant Church Malaysia 