Life Is Hard!! - And Then You Die ...
Life Is Hard!! - And Then You Die
BIRTH - For the mother, a child's birth is not easy. God said, "...I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; in pain you shall bring forth children..." (Genesis 3:16). Also, consider that Solomon says, "...the day of death" is better "than the day of one's birth..." (Ecclesiastes 7:1). We are all born into a world of pain, sorrow, and sin.
YOUTH - This is the time in one's life when Satan's temptations must begin to be faced, when the course of one's life will be determined. Solomon warns, "Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth; Walk in the ways of your heart, and in the sight of your eyes; But know that for all these God will bring you into judgment. Therefore remove sorrow from your heart, And put away evil from your flesh, For childhood and youth are vanity. Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth..." (Ecclesiastes 11:9-12:1).
MATURITY ("PRIME OF LIFE") - Growth is often hard, but spiritual growth is expected of each Christian (2 Peter 3:18). This wisdom and knowledge must be shared with others (Titus 2:1-8; Psalm 71:18). Our society strives to stop the aging process and cover up the signs of age, but God says, "The glory of young men is their strength and the splendor of old men is their gray head" (Proverbs 20:29). Do we believe Him?
DEATH - One who "loves the world and the things of the world" should fear death for he is unprepared to meet his God. However, the Christian achieves victory in his death (1 Corinthians 15:51-58)! Life is hard, but death brings rest for the weary Christian (Hebrews 4:9-11).
by Michael Hurst