Genesis 5 (28-31)
New King James Version
28 Lamech lived one hundred and eighty-two years, and had
a son. 29 And he called his name Noah, saying, “This one will comfort us
concerning our work and the toil of our hands, because of the ground which the
Lord has cursed.” 30 After he begot Noah, Lamech lived five hundred and
ninety-five years, and had sons and daughters. 31 So all the days of Lamech
were seven hundred and seventy-seven years; and he died.
Lamech's complaint of the calamitous state of human life.
By the entrance of sin, and the entail of the curse for sin, our condition has
become very miserable: our whole life is spent in labour, and our time filled
up with continual toil. God having cursed the ground, it is as much as some can
do, with the utmost care and pains, to fetch a hard livelihood out of it. He
speaks as one fatigued with the business of this life, and grudging that so
many thoughts and precious minutes, which otherwise might have been much better
employed, are unavoidably spent for the support of the body. [Matthew Henry
Commentary]
Lamech is a 7th generation descendant of Adam
and is from the linage of Cain. God had banished Cain for killing Cain’s
brother Able and had been told the land would not easily yield to him in his
enjoyment of farming. Generations later Lamech continues to feel the effects of
sin caused by his ancestor Cain. For he says, “Our whole life is spent in
labour, and our time filled up with continual toil. God having cursed the
ground, it is as much as some can do, with the utmost care and pains, to fetch
a hard livelihood out of it.”
A good life means different things to different people.
However, your definition of the good live may include things in common with
many of others. You may want your life to be stress free. You may want a life
that is not filled with difficult labor and struggles. This is normal and the
expectation of many. Nobody likes to struggle through life.
Unfortunately the thought of a difficult life may be what
stops many people from enjoying the life they have been given. The thought of
all the difficult work that is ahead, working through the resistance and
overcoming hurdles is enough to make people want to give up and they haven’t
even begun the real task of life. It’s like being drained of all your energy
just as you get ready to run a marathon. Before you even hear the starting gun
the thought of running 26.2 miles scares you and tires you out so mentally you
walk away from the race.
We all have heard the term; if life gives you lemons,
make lemonade. Accepting life if difficult comes with the responsibility of
accepting that you can bring change to your life. The Bible tells us to give praise to The Lord
for He is good to us. Colossians 3:15 says, “And let the peace of God rule in
your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.”
Only you can let The Lord into your life to ease the
struggles and burdens of life. Start the day with praise and thanksgiving for
all you have. Focus on the positive and let go of the negative. Ask God for
guidance and let Him make the paths of your life burden free.
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