Read Ecclesiastes 9:5–10
The living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing; they
have no further reward, and even the memory of them is forgotten.
Ecclesiastes 9:5
What Solomon wrote about the dead can be reversed and applied to
the living. The dead do not know what is happening on earth, but
the living know and can respond to it. The dead cannot add anything
to their reward or their reputation, but the living can. Solomon was
emphasizing the importance of seizing opportunities while we live,
rather than blindly hoping for something better in the future.
“The human body experiences a powerful gravitational pull in the
direction of hope,” wrote journalist Norman Cousins, who survived a
near-fatal illness and a massive heart attack before his death in 1990.
“That is why the patient’s hopes are the physician’s secret weapon.
They are the hidden ingredients in any prescription.”
We endure because we hope, but “hope in hope” (like “faith in
faith”) is too often only a kind of self-hypnosis that keeps us from
facing life honestly. While patients may be better off with an optimistic attitude, it is dangerous for them to follow a false hope that may
keep them from preparing for death. That kind of hope is hopeless.
When the end comes, the patients’ outlook may be cheerful, but the
outcome will be tragic.
Something to Ponder
What is your definition of hope? How does your hope keep your faith
strong?