When Life Won’t Straighten Out—Do This | Ecclesiastes 1:14-16

Some things in life don’t make sense. No matter how hard we try, some problems remain unsolved, some wounds refuse to heal, and some situations stay broken. It’s frustrating.

Welcome to The Daily. We go through the bible verse-by-verse, chapter-by-chapter, every single day.

Our text today is Ecclesiastes 1:14-16.

I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind.

What is crooked cannot be made straight,
and what is lacking cannot be counted.

I said in my heart, “I have acquired great wisdom, surpassing all who were over Jerusalem before me, and my heart has had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.” — Ecclesiastes 1:14-16

Solomon, the wisest man to walk the earth, assessed life and declared a difficult truth: What is crooked cannot be made straight.

This wasn’t just about physical realities—it pointed to deeper issues in life. There are injustices we can’t fix, relationships we can’t mend, and questions we can’t answer. The phrase "What is crooked" refers to circumstances beyond our control—things that no amount of wisdom, effort, or strength can set straight. Solomon is saying that human knowledge and effort have decisive limits.

Here’s the hard truth: some things are crooked and will stay that way because they’re beyond human repair. We are not God. We do not have the power to straighten every issue. And so, Solomon's wisdom led him to this frustrating realization: no matter how much we speculate, study, or strive, some problems will always be out of reach.

This isn’t an invitation to despair—it’s a call for us to surrender. Instead of exhausting ourselves trying to straighten what God has made crooked, we must learn to trust the One who made it crooked.

Solomon reinforces this in Ecclesiastes 7:13:

"Consider the work of God: who can make straight what he has made crooked?"

Notice the operative word—"He." Sometimes, we’re so focused on fixing what God has made crooked that we miss the point—He may have done it to draw us back to Him.

Where in your life has God made something crooked? Is it a broken relationship, an unfair situation, or a profound question that lacks an answer? What if the real answer isn’t what you expected, but God Himself—using the crooked thing to get your attention?

When life won’t straighten out, the simplest answer is to trust in the Lord—the One who holds both the straight and the crooked in His hands.

#TrustGod, #EcclesiastesWisdom, #GodsPlan

ASK THIS:
What is one situation in your life that feels impossible to fix?
How do you respond when life doesn’t go the way you planned?
Why do you think God allows some things to remain crooked?
What would it look like to surrender your struggle to God today?
DO THIS:

Surrender what you cannot fix to God and trust that He has a greater purpose in it.

PRAY THIS:

Lord, I confess that I often try to fix what only You can. Help me trust in Your wisdom and surrender the crooked things in my life to You. Amen.

PLAY THIS:

Jesus, We Love You.