“Crying is better than laughing. It blotches the face but it scours the heart.
On a good day, enjoy yourself; On a bad day, examine your conscience. God arranges for both kinds of days So that we won’t take anything for granted.”
Ecclesiastes 7:3, 14 MSG
Do you laugh more than you cry? Or cry more than you laugh? Oh, I don’t mean the crying that comes from physical pain—but the weeping, the Godly sorrow that leads to repentance.
I am the queen of a blotchy red face when crying. But after reading this verse, I feel a lot better, as I am reminded that God is at work underneath that mottled appearance. He is scouring my heart.
Scour is a powerful word. God is applying His perfect pressure to clear or get rid of what is undesirable in me. In my heart. In my very person—my mind, will and emotions, He has detected dirt and it’s got to go. So, let the scrubbing begin!
The scouring may be painful at times, but the finished product comes out cleansed and polished, free of dirt and stains! And I start to shine, once again!
And when I’m shining in all of His brightness—I can laugh at what comes along as I know He allows both the good days and the bad to keep me in-check. He cares for me and is at work IN me.
My response? Enjoy the good days. Allow God to scour my conscience all the time and weep for joy as He keeps me shining like His Son!
