Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations–Ecclesiastes 7:8

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Welcome to Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations covering Ecclesiastes 7:8 where we are trained to go deep and persevere, pursuing the wisdom that God provides.

Better is the end of a thing than its beginning, and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.

Many things are started, but few finished.  It seems that we’re wired to think that new things are exciting, but usually after a bit the novelty wears off and they are set to rest alongside other abandoned “new” projects.  So, how is it that the end is better than the beginning?  Consider an example.  I enjoy getting some exercise in on a regular basis, but it’s not something that I’ve done consistently over the course of the last several years; in terms of getting results then, I’ve gone through lots of beginnings and few true ends.  It’s always been good to get back at it again after a season of doughnuts instead (I like doughnuts) during those potential exercise times.  But as good as it always is to get started, it is so much better to finish a year, or even six months worth, of exercise.  I can feel and see the results and am just healthier all around.  Better is the end of a thing than its beginning...and trimmer too, I might add.

What does this mean for how we approach the many processes and projects we walk through in life?  It means that we must be far-sighted.  We must, as the verse says, be patient in spirit and stick with good things instead of being proud in spirit, filled with a quick fizzling false self-confidence during the latest “new thing” we’re into.  It means that it’s better to go deep like an iron anchor, grabbing onto something solid and sound, than to skip along the surface like a little flat rock, making little ripples but never really grasping any one thing.  This is really the tenor of Solomon’s discourse in the chapter.  Although going deep often means experiencing the cold waters of death and mourning, (the heart of the wise is in the house of mourning–V. 4), it also produces great satisfaction in the long run (the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the life of him who has it–V. 12).

We must train ourselves to be more like anchors.  It will mean oftentimes getting tangled and smeared with weeds and muck, but it will also mean that each time we’re drawn back up to the surface (something the skipping rock never experiences after its eventual dive), we can be sprayed off to expose the solid, unbending core of iron fashioned and reinforced by the Master Seaman.

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3 Responses to “Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations–Ecclesiastes 7:8”

  1. Jordan says:
    August 4, 2009 at 5:13 pm

    Valuing the drudgery of remaining faithful without seeing any fruit immediately can be a challenge. I think sometimes another reason some of our works are not finished is because they weren't God's idea in the first place or He accomplished His purpose and moved on while we continue to keep it afloat with our own efforts and eventually burn out. Sometimes we're to proud to lay it down. I think it's good to admit it wasn't God and not finish. It's wisdom to know which one it is. I think more often than not, we forget the joy of being faithful, which I think was your point. I think a key to remaining faithful without losing the bliss of faithfulness is knowing the difference between being lazy and entering His rest. By the way, I like your analogy at the end. It reminds me of Hebrews 12:27.

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