Think of what it was like in the 16th century, before the printing press was invented.   Folks had to rely on word of mouth for their information and by the time they got it, it was so distorted, it was far from the truth.  (Actually pretty much like today’s news and information services.)

In those days, people were concerned about having enough food to eat.  They relied on the sweat of their brows to get the work done.  They feared  invasion  by warring nations.  Most of them had never read God’s Word.  Most of them didn’t know how to read.  (Sad to say some of our high school graduates have slipped through the cracks and reap the same result.) The rich got rich and the poor got poorer  (also something like the news of our day.)

There were no great health care facilities.  Doctors were few and far between.  The average life expectancy was 40 years of age and if you were wealthy you might live ten more.   We are now living longer, have superior health care, but still don’t know how to contain communicable diseases – nor is there a cure for the common cold.

Have we made progress?  If you’re a history buff, you will soon see that it continues to repeat itself.  The passage of time often reveals that there is nothing new in the world.  Solomon wrote the book of Ecclesiastes to address that very thought. Time goes swiftly by, but nothing really changes.  There will always be battles between good and evil.  There will always be wars and rumors of wars.  We face difficult weather, painful diseases, loss of money, jobs and some of our freedom.   We have Bibles in our homes and on our I-pads, but how often are they opened?  Is there any hope for a brighter future?  Are we simply going through the motions of living rather than experiencing the joy of doing so?

Those who are connected to Christ, will go through the same problems others face in this world, but they have hope in the future life after death.  That doesn’t mean we have to wait until we die before we achieve fulfillment or joy.  God wants us to succeed here on earth.  Our success, however, is based on His plan for our lives. 

Our hope is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness.  True paradise does not exist on earth.  It can only be attained after our death.  While we muddle through life, we can take great joy in God’s love for us and His constant intervention when we call on Him.  When we go to His Holy Word, the Bible, it’s His voice speaking to us.  Through it we reap the true secret to success.