The fact that we are converted does not immediately give us insight into all God’s purpose, even though we do now have the big picture; much still remains hidden from us. The Book of Job teaches us that God allows many things to happen in our lives which are perplexing for us and for which we have no explanation. But even in such a world the Christian can trust God and cope with the surprises of providence. Paul says that we are to trust ‘in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy’ (1 Timothy 6:17), and that we are to give ‘thanks for all things to God the Father in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ’ (Ephesians 5:20). But how can we give thanks for vanity? Evidently the believer’s relationship with this world is powerfully changed by conversion, because he no longer makes a god of it. There are many happy moments in this life and for the Christian, Christ’s resurrection is a complete answer to the last enemy, death, so that we may take more than passing pleasure in life. All things are ours, ‘whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come’ (1 Corinthians 3:21-22). We no longer fear the future and so we can rejoice in the present.