July 7

Ecclesiastes 7–9 wrestles with life’s tension: wisdom is better than folly, yet even the wise die. Righteous people suffer, and the wicked often prosper. The writer is honest about injustice, mystery, and the limits of human understanding. Still, he commends joy, righteousness, and wisdom—not because they guarantee control, but because they anchor us in what matters most when life doesn’t make sense.

In the middle of it all, Ecclesiastes 7:14 offers this perspective:
“When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider: God has made the one as well as the other.”
It’s a reminder that wisdom isn’t always about having answers—it’s about trusting God when we don’t.

Psalm 46 echoes this beautifully. “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble… Be still, and know that I am God.” (v.1, 10). In a world full of chaos and confusion, God invites us to be still—not inactive, but deeply trusting. When we don’t know what to do, we remember who God is: unshakable, sovereign, present.

2 Timothy 3 offers both warning and encouragement. Paul describes a time when people will be lovers of self, truth will be rejected, and godliness will be a performance. Yet he urges Timothy to “continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of” (v.14). The key? Scripture. God’s Word, breathed out and alive, equips us to live faithfully in confusing times.

Altogether, these passages remind us that wisdom doesn’t eliminate life’s tension—but it gives us the courage to live faithfully through it. In uncertainty, we turn to God. In chaos, we root ourselves in His Word. In the waiting, we trust His wisdom.

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