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I can recall as a young boy many times
listening to the older men talking about the good old days. When I was a
teenager they were still talking about the good old days. Often in
conversations as an adult I have heard men talking about the good old days. The
odd thing about talking about the good old days is that whatever period of time
the good old days referred to, the older men and women that lived during that
time were talking about the good old days and so on with each preceding
generation to the time of Adam. You draw from such romanticizing of the past
that another time was better than the present, but was it really?
There is a common and unbroken thread
that runs throughout human history, and that is, the heart of man is inherently
sinful (Rom 5:12). No matter how advanced a civilization becomes, the sin nature
is as ugly as it ever was since its inception with Adam, and regeneration does
not change the sin nature one bit; in fact it reveals just how ugly and nasty
the sin nature is in reality. It is leprous to God and a brute beast that challenges the
holiness of God and the new man seeking to be holy.
This is Solomon’s premise of life
“under the sun” (Eccl 1:9) – there is nothing new or different about the good
old days from the present or the future. History is just a series of repetitive
events, a constant repetition of previous accomplishments. Take flight, for
instance. The Wright brothers got off the ground back on December 17, 1903,
“Boy, those were the days,” and became immortalized in history for achieving a
controlled sustained flight with a pilot aboard a powered, heavier-than-air
machine. But way before then, Enoch and Elijah took to the air. Now that had to
have been two incredible flights. And should the Rapture take place in our life
time that will be a monumental flight to glory for those who have the ticket
"Paid in full by Jesus!"
Men of every generation attempt to be
trail blazers in order to boast of quests and conquests that have never been
accomplished or achieved before; always attempting to out-do the done. This is
not a denial of human creativity by Solomon, but a line of argument on the
overarching theme that life is vanity or futility without God in the life
– all things produce, as one commentator put it, an “indescribable
weariness and lack of satisfaction” (Eccl 1:8, BKC). This exists in the present
as well as existing in the good old days. God designed our life to revolve
around him. When we break orbit, nothing satisfies; everything seems futile and
empty. It’s kind of crazy to seek flight in the good old days where the same
scenario played out there as well.
Isn’t God the same yesterday, today,
and forever: a just, merciful, and gracious God, ready to help? God’s attribute
of immutability teaches us that God in the good old days is the same God of the
present! If nothing enters our lives without His permission are we not in
essence blaming God for the present conditions in the world or our immediate
circumstances in which we find ourselves? We are so inclined in the midst of
trouble and discontent to be out of touch with spiritual realities by being
caught up with the past, living in a time warp, sort of speak.
Remembering the good old days seems
innocuous and pleasant as others nod their heads, "Yeah, yeah, I
remember." or "Hey, remember when we ...." But then the
reflections inevitably shift to the acrimonious, "Nowadays...." and
every one present is shaking their heads, looking down, and shuffling their
feet; all are at a loss for words to explain why things have changed, except
for, "Yeah, boy, those were some good old days. You got that
right!"
Wouldn’t it be better to face the
present conditions of the world by trusting in the sovereignty of God and to
live triumphantly for Him? The best and safest place to be is slap-dab in the
center of His will for our life at any time in any given situation. The
conditions may seem to go from better to worst as we grow older and witness the
coming of a new generation, but we must be engaged in the present as a faithful
witness for the glory of God. Sounds a little odd, but we need to live in the
present scheme of things. God in His infinite wisdom brought us to this time
period for a reason. Reflecting on the good things of the past is fine, but
turning bitter because things didn’t turn out to our liking is questioning the
sovereignty of God in the affairs of men (cf. Job 29:2-5).
Becoming discontent with the times can
cause any of us to become “great questionists” (Trapp on Ecclesiastes 7:10).
Such a line of questions does not proceed from wisdom – “For you do not inquire
wisely concerning this.” Such questions challenges God's motives when the
Scriptures are very clear that all things work together for good to those who
love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose (Rom
8:28).
God desires for us to acknowledge His
presence in the present tense of things and to submit to His authority in the
here and now in everything pertaining to godliness for it is ordered by the
Lord. Yahweh is the Sovereign Lord who delights in “exercising lovingkindness,
judgment, and righteousness in the earth” (Jer 9:24b) – yesterday, today, and
forever.
“Remembering the good old days” is
equivalent to or another way of saying, "Why were the former days better
than these?" How did the Apostle Paul deal with the flesh desiring for the
good old days to return? He moved on (Php 3:7-8) and learned to be content in
every situation for he considered every experience in his life as ordered by
the Lord (Php 4:11), and that makes for a good day with eternal results.
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