In Ecclesiastes, chapter seven, verses two through six, “It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart. Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better. The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth. It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise than for a man to hear the song of fools. For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool: this also is vanity.”
Solomon contrasts the sober effects of sorrow and the grief caused by a wise rebuke with the silly laughter and frivolous joking of fools. Those who receive a warning may feel sad, but such sorrow often results in their repentance. Because of a lack of challenges, with the real issues of life, such grief is greater than laughter and ‘good times.”
Today, people are getting saved because they reach a roadblock or a dead end in life. Through adversity, hardship, pain, suffering, and other difficulties, that is when many break down and plead for help. For some, it can be health matters, while others may be financial. However, the sorrow after a while is turned into joy because they have found meaning in their life. The songwriter says, “Give it all, give it all, give it all to Jesus. And He will turn your sorrow into joy.” On the other hand, when the “good times” are rolling and everything is going the way we expect, do you think for a minute that anyone will have their minds on God?
It is funny how some people encounter problems, and then they look to God for help when all along during the “good times’ they never pay attention to Him. Then again, it is not funny when there are endangered situations, unbelievers, and believers who do not seek the Lord often decide to do so because of a crisis. However, God will answer accordingly or not because He knows the heart and the intentions thereof, before and after. On the other hand, believers who regularly call upon Him daily, with a faithful heart, will receive an answer from Him accordingly.