Ecclesiastes 7:8
The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride.
I am puzzled a bit by this verse, unless I think of it in terms of something unpleasant or painful. It would be true then, the end of the matter will be better, so it is something worth waiting for. There are surrounding verses which are interesting also. I am not sure how pride fits in, except that if I am patient, and waiting for an outcome, I am not bragging about it, or taking ownership of the outcome. In all things, waiting on God is the only thing. God will determine the outcome ultimately.
Holy One, I know you are in charge of my life. You give me so much freedom, but ultimately you are in control of my beginning, my end, and everything in between. I will be patient. Amen
Becky, transforming
Ecclesiastes 7:8 Notice how impatience arises when we're not getting our way—specifically, when people or the situation we are in at the moment aren't conforming to our expectations, even in circumstances when we have no control (for example, the flow of traffic or the length of a line). Our expectations are often out of touch with reality. There is often nothing that can be done to change things, it is what it is. Whether I can or can’t change things I find myself focusing on breathing. Use slow in and out breaths and a breath prayer always helps. When I am accepting the circumstance it helps me to stay calm. Acceptance doesn’t mean that I am happy about what’s happening. …
Ecclesiastes 7: 8 The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride.
Patience has never been one of my strong suites. I have been working on being patient all of my life. It is difficult for me to wait for the end result. The beginning of a project is there immediately, but waiting for the outcome takes patience. I find that this has been a good thing for me. I have learned to wait. I am still not very good at it, but I know that God will answer my prayers and help me do better. Patience has become a good learning tool for me.
Dearest Lord, thank you for being patient with…
Ecclesiastes 7:8
Finishing is better than starting
Patience is better than pride
The finishing of a project does not just happen. It often takes time, hard work, and some patience when you run into difficulties. I am often great at starting but I have little patience when things are not working out as I hoped. Some patience is good; time often diminishes my frustration so it can continue and finish. I will admit to having several unfinished projects waiting for me. I have let patience turn into inaction.
Prayer: Gracious God, remind me that patience should not mean inaction. Teach me to turn to you for help. I need to rely less on myself and more on you in …
Ecclesiastes 7:8
This is an enigmatic verse in a puzzling chapter within an often inscrutable book of the Bible. In its broader context, the basic message seems to be the encouragement of patience in the face of difficult or painful circumstances. While most have been patient, we nearly daily see or read about those whose patience over restrictions, mask mandates and mixed messages has been ruptured, leading to actions they may regret. We have no power over this plague, no real choice save to trust God to shepherd us through and to convey that trust to others who do not know God.
Prayer - Merciful God, how long must we wait to emerge from under the specter of this virus?…