Who knows what is good for man? In our limited vision and wisdom, we cannot see or know what is good for man. There are things in our lives we would not choose that are precisely the things God has given us to make us wise. Do you want to be a wise person? Join us to discover how.

Sermon Outline:

I. Sorrow is better than laughter.

II. Hard words are better than pleasing words.

III. Growing in patience is better than growing in pride.

IV. Wisdom is better than wealth.

V. It is better to trust the God who knows what is good for man than to dispute with him.

Sermon Discussion Questions:

1. How have you seen the story of the farmer and his horse play out in your own life? (Was there a time when you thought something was bad that turned out good or vice versa.)

2. Why is it said that sorrow is better than laughter? Why is it important that we attend funerals if we want to be wise?

3. Do you believe that God has put a crook in everyone’s lot? Does this conflict with his attributes of being good and loving? Why or why not?

4. How do our failures, struggles, and crooks teach us patience? In what ways are they better for us than our successes?

5. In what ways can you practically incorporate the wisdom of this passage into your day-to-day life? (Think about how you might respond when your crook is causing you pain, when you are facing adversity, when someone criticizes you, when you’re tempted to pine about the ‘good old days,’ or when you’re feeling impatient with some aspect of life.)

6. When we do not know what is good for us, how does the message of the gospel enable us to trust the one who does?