Ecclesiastes
When I applied my heart to know wisdom and to see the business that is done on earth, even though one sees no sleep day or night, then I saw all the work of God, that a man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun. For though a man labors to discover it, yet he will not find it; moreover, though a wise man attempts to know it, he will not be able to find it. Ecclesiastes 8:16-17
Life is a puzzle. Every day, pieces are added: at home, at work, at play, at church. There are pieces of joy and pleasure as well as pieces of pain and sorrow. The pieces are scattered here and there. When we struggle to see how they fit together, we are at a loss. “A man cannot find out the work [of God] that is done under the sun.”
With artificial intelligence, one would think that we should be able to predict the big picture. However, this may be the most confused generation ever. Instead of solving the puzzle of life, modern technology only adds more disconnected pieces. Who can comprehend the interconnection between “the business that is done on earth” …“the work that is done under the sun”?
God grant that we remain content in the knowledge that we have, while leaving the rest to God. “The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.” (Deut. 29:29 – law = instruction)
And what has He revealed? God gives us a clear picture of Jesus at the center of the puzzle. All the pieces of His birth, life, death, and resurrection fit perfectly together, revealing to us the beautiful picture of our salvation. By the Spirit, we trust that all the other pieces are falling into place. In the end, God assures that we will see and understand and rejoice.
Thy ways, O Lord, with wise design
Are framed upon Thy throne above,
And every dark and bending line
Meets in the center of Thy love.
The Lutheran Hymnal 530:1