The sacred writings. . . are able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:15-17 NRSV.

And I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28.

Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me; You will stretch out Your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and Your right hand will save me. Psalm 138:7 NKJV.

The Lord gives strength to His people; the Lord blesses His people with peace. Psalm 29:11.

As I was reading our chapter, Ecclesiastes 4, I looked up the definition of Ecclesiastes. It’s a translation of the Hebrew meaning one who convenes an assembly or preacher. I looked it up because this chapter is dark and it talks about oppression and what is meaningless. Again I looked and saw all the oppression that was taking place under the sun: I saw the tears of the oppressed – and they have no comforter; power was on the side of their oppressors – and they have no comforter…v. 1. That’s true today, too. And then Solomon goes dark…And I declared that the dead, who had already died, are happier than the living, who are still alive. But better than both is the one who has never been born, who has not seen the evil that is done under the sun…v. 2-3. He goes on to describe how it is better for two to labor than for just one to labor all alone with no one to lift them up if they fall, or to have no one to leave what was toiled for, v. 8-10. He goes on, Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken…v. 11-12.

What a difference these verses of Solomon with the verses of Scripture given above where Creator God – Father…Son…Spirit…is our Comforter. How can we understand oppression, or what we know is evil in this world touching so many who have no comforter, or loneliness that comes to everyone at times in their lives? We see what is not good…and we see what brings hope to spirits so in need of goodness…in this world of ours. Solomon saw that as well. His conclusion so often is that this too, is meaningless, a chasing after the wind, v. 4, 7.

In this world we experience pain caused by people who choose to bring pain to others. We experience love and forgiveness given by people who choose to bring love and forgiveness. It’s good to consider both and wonder at the capacity of the human heart for good and evil. And when your heart reaches saturation from what you cannot understand in your own wisdom, let God’s Love be the light that guides your heart. In His Love you will find meaning and peace and hope. You will never find the darkness of oppression or cruelty in God because God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin. 1 John 1:5-7. John knew what He was talking about because he lived with Jesus with the other disciples for three years. Can you imagine? One day Jesus will return and our whole world will be changed in the healing Light of His Love for us. And as you turn to God now, you can begin to experience His Light leading you faithfully forward with Him loving you. This I know…God’s Love heals every hurt and every pain we ourselves cause when we walk in darkness. Darkness cannot exist in the Light of God’s Love for us. How beautiful is that Light!