Good morning on this Saturday, the 16th day of September. This week has involved handling the usual effects of the chemo administered last week and the antibiotics given to clear the sinus infection I recently contracted. I'm now finished with the course of the antibiotics which seem to have done their job effectively in clearing the infection and am nearing the end of what I call the "down" cycle caused by the chemo. Usually by the end of the second week of the treatment cycle, the body begins what I like to think of as the "up" cycle during which you get stronger and feel better. When I think of this cycle of "downs" and "ups," I am reminded of what Solomon said in Ecclesiastes 7:14, In the day of prosperity be joyful, But in the day of adversity consider: Surely God has appointed the one as well as the other, So that man can find out nothing that will come after him. Here Solomon is observing that both prosperity and adversity are a part of life and particularly every life. He also teaches us what attitude each should produce in us, enjoyment and appreciation (rejoicing) during the times of prosperity and consideration (discernment, finding out, learning about/from) in times of adversity which includes the ideas of distress, misery, injury and evil. Why? because both are appointed (prepared, produced, or worked) by God and inevitably will occur in our lives to the stated purpose that man will not find out any thing that shall be after him (his future, what will befall him as he lives out the days ahead). The Hebrew for appointed the one as well as the other means juxtaposition, close by, side by side, or parallel to. So in the good times fully enjoy them and make the most of them and in the bad times realize and learn from them as a teacher that God will bring or allow both in our lives; that when one occurs the other is always close by; that each has a part in our personal and spiritual growth and development; and we can't and won't know until they unfold what we will experience and when. It is so easy to take the times of prosperity for granted, not really appreciating them and not completely enjoying them, but it is equally easy to not learn from times of adversity the important lessons of endurance, dependence, humility, obedience, correction, trust, sanctification, prayer, reliance on God's Word, discipline, direction, and resting in the Lord - all of which are Scriptural purposes/benefits of our adversities. Also, in times of adversity, it is helpful to anticipate the times of prosperity as a generator of hope in our lives because, Faith is the substance of things hoped for... (Hebrews 11:1).
Pastor Dan will be speaking in the services tomorrow morning and because of the ice cream social tomorrow night, the brief evening service will begin at 5:00 PM.
Since a number of you have tried to convince me that I look younger, better, more handsome and more erudite (scholarly and learned) without my hair, I've been contemplating permanently keeping the skin-head look. Now if I can find a way to prevent all of the screaming from Barb whenever I mention it to her, I'll have it made. :-)
I have now learned that a bald head is a happy head because we no longer have to face the hairy side of life and we are relieved of the following worries: turning gray, bald spots, root color, hair care products, and producing/preserving a lock of hair. So baldness is prosperity not adversity!
I am eternally grateful for your prayers and support.
Mel Brown