Making the Heart Better
Ecclesiastes 7:1 – A good name exceeds the value of fine perfume, and the day of someone’s death exceeds the value of the day of his birth. 2 – It’s better to attend a funeral than to attend a banquet, for everyone dies eventually, and the living will take this to heart. 3 – Sorrow is better than laughter, because the heart is made better through trouble. 4 – For the wise person thinks carefully when in mourning, but fools focus their thoughts on pleasure.
The heart is made better through trouble. Trouble seems to find its way into all our lives. How does trouble make the heart better? Trouble gets the wise to think carefully. Carefully about what? Carefully about Jesus and the future. All the funeral messages I’ve ever preached have focused on Jesus and the future. Sorrow gets us to think about eternal things – who wants to think about the end of the world when things are going great? If your life is currently pain free and filled with pleasure then today’s words may seem depressing.
Trouble in the life doesn’t mean that there’s trouble in the heart – Jesus had this to say:
Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. There are many rooms in my Father’s house. If there weren’t, I wouldn’t have told you that I am going away to prepare a place for you, would I? And since I’m going away to prepare a place for you, I’ll come back again and welcome you into my presence, so that you may be where I am. – John 14:1-3.
I have told you this so that through me you may have peace. In the world you’ll have trouble, but be courageous – I’ve overcome the world!” – John 16:33.
Where two are gathered 