Rejoice Rightly

As we near the end of Ecclesiastes, the Preacher reflects once again: life under the sun is full of both joy and sorrow—days of sunshine and days of deep darkness.

Young people know this is true, but often have a hard time seeing anything but optimism in life. This is why the reality of middle age hits us like a ton of bricks. And yet, once we’re soured by the reality of life under the sun, we find it harder and harder to freely enjoy the good in God’s good creation. How can we learn the wisdom of age while retaining the optimism of youth? The Preacher teaches us this lesson in Eccl 11:7–12:8.