ECCLESIASTES 3:1-11- There is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace. What gain has the worker from his toil? I have seen the business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.”
THEME OF THE DAY: CONTROL, LOVE, FAITHFULNESS. I was preaching through the Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes in my church. We had been in the book for about a year and a dear brother approached me, “Pastor Jim, when are we going to be done with this very depressing book?” He smiled and knowing him as a godly and humble individual who always encourages people, I smiled back knowing what he meant. I replied, “Yeah, Solomon can sometimes bring us down because the truth hurts, vanity, oh, vanity, all is vanity, especially when we have been like King Solomon wasting time, money, and energy on things that don’t satisfy.”
Yes, there are dark periods in Ecclesiastes, but there is much light as well, like the message in today’s scripture. Do we see the obvious truth Solomon is emphasizing? Time, and time in the context that nothing happens by chance. There are no such things as luck and fate. All things in the world, and yes, even those difficult circumstances in our lives, come from heaven, not by passive allowance, but active involvement. And what does Solomon say after all these affirmations of God’s controlling of all things? He has made everything beautiful in its time. So, as we see the God of time, let’s expand the scriptural declarations of who our God is to help us in trying and difficult times.
The first truth is what I just referred to . . . God’s complete sovereignty over all things. Much comfort is gained when we realize nothing just suddenly comes into our lives. Nothing. They may catch us by surprise, but not God. Find great peace and rest in the God who not only orchestrates all things, He controls them as well.
Another truth about our God to cling to in tough times is His steadfast love. This is implied throughout Ecclesiastes by seeing time after time the lessons King Solomon learns and shares. The point is God didn’t give up on Solomon nor does He us. Steadfast loves says, “Yes, you may be foolish and seek in the world what is only found in Me, but my steadfast love will not abandon you, but teach you.” Trust this love. It doesn’t waver based on our wavering.
Finally, in the storms of life, King Solomon teaches us about the faithfulness of God. When he writes, “He has made all things beautiful in His time”, that means all things, even our failings, even our sinning, will be turned into something beautiful, not in and of themselves, but what they produce in us – repentance, confession, and humility.
Control, love, faithfulness. These three truths of our God are the anchors stabilizing life in the storms of life. Hold to them. They will never fail us.
PRAYER: “Father, I praise You for being my sovereign, loving, and faithful God.”
QUOTE: Nothing happens by chance but comes from the hand of our loving, faithful God.
Because of Him,
Pastor Jim