| “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 take it to heart.” – Ecclesiastes 7:2 |
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| A Very Sobering Thought There is no doubt in my mind that if given a choice you would rather go to a house of feasting than the funeral home! There is pleasure to be had in the house of feasting whereas there is pain and heartache at the funeral home. Yet Ecclesiastes 7:2 tells us the better choice is to go to the funeral home. For Solomon, the house of mourning, the funeral home, is incredibly VALUABLE as it is like a school room where wisdom can be gained. In the house of feasting, one may find leisure and laughter but very seldom any lessons. In the house of mourning, life lessons are learned that impact one’s heart, The funeral home is like a school room as it provides life lessons for the living to learn. What might be learned at the funeral home? Facing the fact that a person has DIED has the ability to AWAKENED the LIVING to LIVE LIFE FULLY. One is reminded in this place of mourning that life comes with a deadline, usually an unexpected deadline. One is reminded of the brevity of life, no matter how many years the person lived. And in the place of mourning, one should be reminded of a future judgment. In the funeral home, we learn that this life is not all there is. These are but a few lessons one might learn at the house of mourning. My hope today is the Scripture WAKES you up to LIVING 1000% for the Lord! I hope you don’t have to go to a funeral to understand – to learn – that this earthly life will come to an end – and it usually is an unexpected end. From considering Ecclesiastes 7:2, you should grab onto Ecclesiastes 9:10 and do “Whatever your hand finds to do, DO IT with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going.” On a personal note – I really was not familiar with Ecclesiastes 7:2 in 1989 but what it teaches is very real. In May of 1989, my mother would die unexpectedly, dying of a massive heart attack. The day after her death her obituary was in the Lynchburg paper. It started with her name and then the number 56. She was only 56. As I looked at that number I thought about another number. The number was 28. Why 28? Because I was 28. As I looked at the number 56, I realized that if I were to live as long (or as short) as my mom lived I would have already lived half my life. It became a motivation to get VERY serious about living every moment for the Lord. The funeral home became a schoolroom that week. Verse to DATE the Word on July 2 (7/2) is Ecclesiastes 7:2. Ecclesiastes 7:2 says, “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 take it to heart.” You might take a moment to consider what you have learned from being at a funeral. What messages have come to you from the house of mourning that has motivated you to live differently? Continue Strong LIVING for the Lord till you die, And remember to DATE the Word |