Ecclesiastes 3:16-22

Ecclesiastes 3:16-22
English Standard Version (ESV)

 Ecclesiastes isn't known for its humor or ability to cheer you up.  It's certainly not full of laughs.  These are the questions we ask ourselves at 3 am as we're staring at the ceiling, trying to figure out what it all means.  The central question he lands on, time and time again, is the one Jesus so clearly answers in the Gospels -- what are we here for and what is our future, our reason for hope?
  The earlier point in verse 17 is that God is the ultimate Judge.  We like to play judge, and we like to think we know exactly how it will work out, but we don't have final say in the matter.  God isn't waiting for our opinions before judging someone.  Judgment isn't a democratic process, and it's not a popularity contest, either.  God judges, and that is that. 
  This relieves us of the burden of knowing exactly what everyone's fate is.  We like to judge people, to know where we stand in relation to them.  In reality, only God ultimately judges, so we are wise to love unconditionally and trust in God to judge.  Also, let us not forget that the same God who judges is the God who saves, the God who pours out the life of his only Son so that everyone who believes in him might have eternal life.  The ultimate judge is the one who gives love more freely and unconditionally than any human can ever fathom.