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Growth in the In-Between

I read Ecclesiastes 7 today and it related to conversations I’ve had with several people lately about feeling uncomfortable with where we are in life and dealing with the waiting for what we think is “perfect” to come along and satisfy us or reward us for our endurance. Chapter 7 describes sorrow and adversity as fundamental experiences that are equally made by God to make us rich in wisdom. It is a powerful concept!

Right now I’m reading a book by Lisa Terkeurst about hardship and disappointment. It discussed how our heart longs for perfection and the garden of Eden. Here on earth, in between the first Eden and the second Eden- where God brings heaven to earth, we experience hardships. The verses in Ecc. 7 state so clearly that there is good in the hardship. Wisdom can be found there. I go on further to say wisdom can be found because we end up looking for and leaning on God more and more. It’s in the development of our relationship with God that we receive wisdom and are better off than before. Hardships will disappear later when we finally reach the second Eden. Right now, let’s accept our hardship experiences and the growth that is promised from it.

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