The Good Bad Times

A couple weeks ago, I thought I was entering a season of "good times". You know how sometimes everything just seems to be going right in life? That's how I felt. I won't go into specifics, but I had plenty to be satisfied with and excited about. However, things have taken a little bit of a turn. Again, I won't go into specifics, but there have been a few circumstances which have left me feeing a little hurt and down.

This passage has been running through my head today:

"In the day of prosperity be happy, But in the day of adversity consider-- God has made the one as well as the other so that man will not discover anything that will be after him." -Ecclesiastes 7:14

As I was thinking about this verse earlier in the day, my thoughts were focused on the concept that God creates the bad times in our lives to purify us. I have always loved the visual of a flame drawing out the dross in a piece of metal such as gold. The analogy of course is that God uses pain and suffering in our lives to produce purity. But I don't think that that's what this verse is getting at. This verse states that the reason we have series of good and bad times in our lives is so that we won't know the future. Basically, we don't know whether good or bad is coming next. I suppose this keeps us on our spiritual toes--a good thing for people who get lazy and complacent easily.

Another verse that has been running through my head is this:

"And we know that in all things, God is working for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose." -Romans 8:28

This verse closer embodies the theme of this blog. I know that God is using all circumstances in my life--especially the difficult ones--for my good. To purify me. So really, how can I call these times "bad times"? They are The Good Bad Times. Not that I am rejoicing in them, but I can still have an underlying satisfaction in my life knowing that He is working all things for my benefit.