To Every thing there is a Season...the Wayfarer
To Every Thing There is a Season
“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every
purpose under the heaven:”
(Ecclesiastes 3:1)
We take today’s message from
scripture that Jesus was very familiar with. It is attributed to Solomon, and
the entire book is full of wisdom that is truly applicable both in his time and
in our own. This particular passage today is one of my most favorites in the
Old Testament. I find it both comforting in times of tribulation and sorrow,
and instructional, when I find a need for direction in my daily life. We need
to be aware that everything that happens has a purpose, whether it is
immediately discernable to us or not. The 2nd verse continues:
“A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a
time to pluck up that which 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 get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to
cast away; A time to rend, 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 of war, and a time of
peace.”
(Ecclesiastes 3:2-8)
We are often so self-centered that we
fail to realize the importance of the things that occur around us. We need to
be aware that whatever occurs has a function in the whole of our lives.
We are born according to the schedule
preordained by God himself, and despite our knowledge and abilities, we will
die on that same schedule.
Just as the farmers must plant, tend and reap
the crops in accordance with the seasons of sun and rain and cold, so must we
live our lives attending to the schedule of what happens to us daily, monthly
and annually.
There is indeed a time to kill, in defense of
self, family, or nation. There must also be a commensurate time of healing
thereafter. Just as Europe was destroyed during WWII, and rebuilt thereafter,
this also is in accordance with the schedule preset by our creator!
Every human must, because of his
humanity, suffer through times of sorrow, but we must not dwell in that sorrow
forever, but find the time of joy that is there for us when we look for it.
We need to recognize the necessity of
gathering stones (saving for the future), and the necessity of casting away of
those stones when the time for their use is over.
We need to recognize the need for human
companionship and embrace both that need and our fellows when it is necessary,
and the need to separate ourselves from it when it becomes a burden that no
longer produces mutual personal enrichment, whether spiritual, or physical.
There is indeed a time to get the
things we need in life, and a time to cast away the things which when kept will
only destroy us.
There is a time to tear away parts of our
lives that cause grief, and a time to sew together the salvageable components
of it.
The time to keep silent is often the
most overlooked because of our tendency to speak without thinking, without
first examining what is truly in our heart and what the results of that speech
will eventually be, whatever we intend at the time.
There is also a time to speak what is
in your heart and soul. Withholding the thoughts and words would be far more
damaging than speaking them. There is a time to speak up for others that we may
not ignore, and a time for action on their behalf.
Love is a necessity that must not be
overlooked; it is a requirement in our lives. The is an innate part of our
being that also may not be totally suppressed, but must be controlled and
contained to the time that exists for it.
There will always be a time for wars between
the forces of good and evil. The trick is often to discern which is which.
There is also always a time for peace, a time to put away past differences and
build a future for our progeny.
The 9th verse continues:
“What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he
laboreth?
I have seen the travail, which God hath given to the sons of
men to be exercised in it. He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also
he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that
God maketh from the beginning to the end. I know that there is no good in them,
but for a man to rejoice, and to do good in his life. And also that every man
should eat and drink, and enjoy the good
of all his labor, it is the gift of
God.”
Ecclesiastes 3:9-13
What profit indeed! Our lives are
spent running to and fro, working to build a life for ourselves and our family.
More often than not, the work consumes us and becomes the purpose for which we
think we live. We forget that the purpose of the work is to fill the needs and
wants, not to replace them.
God made everything beautiful, and
for a purpose. If we look to that purpose, and use what is given us for that
purpose, we will have a life that is meaningful instead of empty, filled only
with things!
No matter how hard we work, no matter
the vastness of our knowledge, we will never be able to get to the same level
as God himself.
We need to accept that He alone is
omnipotent, and omniscient, and that this is reserved to Him alone.
Once we come to that acceptance, we can enjoy
what He has given us and use our abilities to further His purpose, that of LOVE!
Then and only then may we eat, drink,
and enjoy the good of our labor which is after all a gift of God!
The 14th verse continues:
“I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever:
nothing can be put to it, nor anything taken from it: and God doeth it, that
men should fear before him.
That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath
already been; and God requireth that which is past.”
(Ecclesiastes 3:14 & 15)
There is nothing that we see, know or do that
is new, God has seen done and known all before us.
The choices that we make daily have been made
by others before us, and will be made again by those who follow us. It is a requirement that we make our own
mistakes in spite of the knowledge and wisdom passed down to us. This is our
destiny until the end and final judgment.
Perhaps we may make our decisions in
a better manner if we attempt to apply the lessons learned by those before us,
but in the end, it is Gods’ will, and plan that will dominate and dictate the
outcome of our lives.
That is why it is critical that we
accept Jesus as Savior and allow him to intercede on our behalf, without this
we are without hope in the resurrection.
The 16th verse continues:
The 16th verse continues:
“And moreover I saw under the sun the place of judgment, that
wickedness was there; and the place of righteousness, that iniquity was there.
I said in mine heart God shall judge the righteous and the wicked: for there is
a time there for every purpose and for every work”
I will conclude here. This statement
reiterates what I just said above, God is the final judge; it is His judgment
that we need to fear, not the judgment or lack of accolades given by mankind.
Solomon finishes out this particular
chapter bemoaning the fact that all mankind is too blind to recognize that
their purpose on earth is more than to gather riches for themselves, and that
those very riches will not carry over into the afterlife.
None of us know how the things we
work for will be used, or by whom they will be used after our death.
The only surety of what we pass on is in the
things we teach our children, the values we give them, the wisdom we allow them
to get from the scripture, and the knowledge of a love that will endure past
our earthly existence through Christ Jesus if they are only taught and believe.
If we pass on the things of God, we have given
them riches beyond our ability to earn here on this earth!
Once more I salute my brethren and
sisters in Christ with the love of a sinner saved by the grace of God through
the blood sacrifice of my savior, JESUS,
the Wayfarer
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