Ecclesiastes 7

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Contrasting and often ironic proverbs on wisdom and folly are in the first half of Ecclesiastes 7. In the second half, Solomon observes life and offers practical advice for living.

Ecclesiastes 7 Outline

7:1-14
Proverbs contrasting wisdom and folly
7:1-4
Reputation and sorrow-induced reflection
7:5-6
Wise reproof excels foolish flattery
7:7-10
Three appeals for patience
7:11-12
Protection of wisdom
7:13-14
Trust God in good and bad times
7:15-22
Solomon’s discoveries about life.
7:15-18
Avoid extremes and revere God.
7:19-20
Wisdom strengthens, but not perfectly.
7:21-22
Have a forgiving ear
7:23-29
Solomon’s search for wisdom
7:23-25
Wisdom is hard to grasp
7:26-29
Additional discoveries

Today is a Gift

Thoughts that occupy your mind, the things you focus on, direct the course of your life. In the context of discussing patience, Solomon advises readers in Ecclesiastes 7:10 to avoid dwelling on the past.

A person who pines for the past will say the old days were better than today. Eleanor Roosevelt once wrote:
Yesterday is history.
Tomorrow is a mystery.
Today is a gift.
That is why they call it the present.

You can’t drive forward and look backward.
Jesus said, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God." (Luke 9:62, ESV).

Yesterday is beyond your grasp, but you can impact today. Seize the opportunities of today (Ecclesiastes 7:18).

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