Hi Alex,
Your post fits in so well with the book I've been led to study recently. The inspired writer of Ecclesiastes felt very much like you that man's efforts on this earth are "vanity and striving after wind". Eccl 1:14. I've been reading this book because while rereading the Ray's LOF series, the part on free will, he talks about Eccl 3. "There is an appointed time for everything." Ray said that the point of this chapter is to show that God Himself causes all these events in our life at the time He appoints for us. The chapter is a look at the tree of good and evil from which God makes us eat.
One thing I noticed, Alex, our Father wants us to experience
good and evil. Notice these verses:
Eccl2 :24 "There is nothing better for a man than to eat and drink and tell himself that his labor is good. This also I have seen, that it is from the hand of God. 25. For who can eat and who can
have enjoyment without Him?:
3:12,13,22 a ""I know that there is nothing better for them than to
rejoice and to do good in one's lifetime; moreover, that every man who eats and drinks sees good in all his labor - it is the gift of God. And I have seen that nothing is better than that man should
be happy in his activities, for that is his lot."
5:18 "Here is what I have seen to be good and fitting: to eat, to drink and
enjoy oneself in all one's labor in which he toils under the sun during the few years of his life which God has given him; for this is his reward."
8:15 "So I commended
pleasure, for there is nothing good for a man under the sun except to eat and to drink and to
be merry, and this will stand by him in his toils throughout the days of his life which God has given him uner the sun."
9:7 "Go then, eat your bread in
happiness, and drink your wine with a
cheerful heart; for God has already approved your works. (God has appointed these works to us in our lives.)
11:9 "Rejoice, young man, during your childhood, and let your heartbe
pleasant during the days of young manhood. And follow the inpulses of your heart and the desires of your eyes. YET, know that God will bring you to judgment for all these things.
11:10 "So, remove vexation from your heart and put away pain from your body, because childhood and the prime of life are fleeting.
What God is telling me when I read this book is yes He puts evil and adversity in our lives to teach us, but He also puts good in our lives. And He wants us (commands us, for His desires are our commands) to enjoy, rejoice, be merry, have a cheerful heart, be happy, etc.
Alex, I am not trivializing the trials you are going thru. But, please, also find the pleasure and joy of the good things He has put into your life. Sometimes when we are young we can be too serious.
Peace and joy to you,
Cindy