Time for Everthing Under Heaven

Introduction

The new year is the season of change, the season of a new beginning. For some of us it is a fresh start and a chance to wipe away the things that we have held on to over the last year.

This is the very moment that we need to just stop and take a deep breath in and exhale relief from the craziness of life.

This time of year also allows us the opportunity to sit back and reflect and be joyful for the provisions that God has given us.

Body

Ecclesiastes 3:1–8 ESV

For everything 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 is the first thing we can observe about this passage?

By looking at the text carefully we can start to see a pattern within it.

There is comparing and contrasting within the scripture.

There is the idea and understanding from the author that life is filled with events both major, minor , good and bad.

The poem sets the stage of a scene for joyful moments that meet a stark contrast of grief.

Faithlife Study Bible Chapter 3

3:1–8 This poem illustrates that there is an appropriate time for all activities that constitute human life. Positive events are paralleled with negative ones to reflect reality.

We can also see the seasonality of life as time marches on.

And as time progresses the season of life changes as well.

Why does this passage of scripture tend to emphasize the good things that happen in life contrasted with grief and sorrow?(v 4b,5b)

The passage is trying to encapsulate the very tension that we live in our day-to-day; and the hardship and joy that comes with it.

These things we are looking at in the perspective of time. Time that brings forth different seasons (examples: new birth and death, sickness and health.)

The author of the poem (King Solomon) is trying to have the reader find joy in the midst of all seasons of life with the understanding that seasons have flow to them.

Example: if you are in a hard season right now another season will come.

We just had Christmas. The holiday can be hard for anybody who has faced loss. Unfortunately, loss is inevitable as time marches on.

I am all too aware of the bittersweet feeling of this time of year.

A question this brings to mind is what do we do in the hard seasons of life?

What do we look to?

We must look to Jesus in these hard times

Important side-note: Facing seasons of hardship and loss does not mean abandoned by God.

We know that God uses the hard seasons to shape us.

We were reminded last week of this in the writings of Paul.

Romans 5:3–5 (ESV)

Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

Why trust in Jesus?

It is not forgotten by God the hardship that we face in life.

After all, the shortest verse of the Bible is “Jesus wept”. (John 11:35)

God sent Christ down, the Word becoming literal flesh and bone (John 1:1), to forgive sin on the cross and through His sacrifice we will be in the right standing with God the Father. (Romans 5:8-9)

Also, an aspect that can be overlooked is that God the Father had the intention of having personal relationship with His creation. (John 15: 13-15)

It is in the hard seasons of life that we must, more now than ever, choose to trust in Jesus.

We have the tendency to push away from God in tough times; we isolate ourselves from the One that could help us.

What is the reason for this isolation? Nobody really knows; it's just something that we naturally tend to do.

It could be because of guilt , shame , anger or even just fully not understanding God's plan at this point in time.

Instead we need to press into God through prayer and supplication with a thankful heart.

Yes , at times this may require a change in our prospective.

I am not going to tell you that the feelings we experience are wrong or invalid.

I would rather say that we should experience our feelings in the right context.

Conclusion

Philippians 4:4–7 (ESV)

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Here would be a framework to experience our emotions in the right context and frame of mind.

We are bringing our requests to God.

With the mindset of being thankful.

Through prayer consistently (supplication).

Resting in the peace of mind that God has your back.

By practicing these things and the peace of God will come in time (V8-9).