Wednesday, April 5th, 2011, 10:05 AM EST USA
I just realized this - in Ecc. 9:1 God told us that everything is meaningless. Well, all of this time (note that I have been a believer since 1994) I thought that it meant only the positive things in life - only the good things - are meaningless. What a dummy I am! :) Clearly everything means everything - even the bad things - even the pain - even the frustrations - even the afflictions - everything. Granted, pain is pain and there is no getting away from that. But realizing this I feel less of a burden in my life about the frustrations and the afflictions (those things people think of as "tests").
BTW, God doesn't test us - He is the Potter, and we are His clay. So no tests. Just shaping, molding, etc. - the work of the Potter - our LORD God Almighty.