Finding Perspective When the Grind Gets Heavy
I’m having a great day! I hope you are too. Welcome back—today we’re diving into Ecclesiastes 5 through 8, a stretch of Scripture that speaks to the seasons of struggle we all experience.
When Frustration Finds You
Why am I having a great day, you may ask? Let me tell you a story—since stories are what I do.

I’ve been navigating unemployment. But I saw this as an opportunity to pursue the career I’ve always wanted and leave the past where it belongs. The challenge? Future employers see a guy with years in one field, now asking for a role he’s trained for but never worked in.

To bridge that gap, I created an application that predicts college football game scores and yardage. I built it intending to use it as a proof-of-skill alongside my resume—with a screen that shows how this same predictive technology could apply across industries like sales, manufacturing, and beyond.

I built the app on my computer, but then came the grind: for two weeks, I fought to get it deployed to a website where I could actually show it. This was discouraging—until Solomon reminded me:
“Frustration is better than laughter, because a sad face is good for the heart,” (Eccles. 7:3, NIV) ¹
Well, then my heart must be in excellent shape. I’ve worn that sad face for two long weeks. But now? I rejoice.
The End Is Better Than the Beginning
Solomon writes:
“The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride,” (Eccles. 7:8, NIV) ¹
That line has new meaning for me now. When considering yesterday’s readings about vanity and the futility of striving, it’s clear: Solomon isn’t telling us that nothing matters. He’s telling us not to get so wrapped up in the struggle. These day-to-day frustrations? They pass. Everything is in God’s hands and unfolds in His timing.

When you’re powering through discouragement, just remember: soon you’ll forget how heavy those days felt. Solomon again says,
“When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider this: God has made the one as well as the other,” (Eccles. 7:14, NIV) ¹
Now I Rejoice
Today’s reading lifted me right in time for all that hard work to bear fruit. My app is now running online. Once it’s polished, it’ll be out there for the world to see. That brings me to another verse:
“So I commend the enjoyment of life, because there is nothing better for a person under the sun than to eat and drink and be glad. Then joy will accompany them in their toil all the days of the life God has given them under the sun,” (Eccles. 8:15, NIV) ¹
I’ve learned so much—none of which would’ve happened if life had been easy. When you’re in a season that tempts you to give up, don’t. God’s got this. He isn’t punishing you—He’s shaping you into someone more equipped for what’s next.

Paul echoes Solomon’s wisdom in the New Testament:
“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” (Phil. 4:4, NIV) ²
Let that be the anthem over every frustration you face. The God who wrote your beginning has also written your triumph.
Tomorrow, we will read Ecclesiastes 9-12.
References
¹ The Holy Bible, New International Version. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2011. Ecclesiastes 7:3, 7:8, 7:14, 8:15. ² Ibid., Philippians 4:4.