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Ecclesiastes 3 (ESV)
1 For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:
2 a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; …
9 What gain has the worker from his toil? 10 I have seen the business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. 11 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. 12 I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; 13 also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God’s gift to man.
14 I perceived that whatever God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it. God has done it, so that people fear before him. 15 That which is, already has been; that which is to be, already has been; and God seeks what has been driven away.
REFLECTION:
Solomon’s point in this chapter is to say that God has a plan for everyone. God has arranged different stages for our lives, and each stage has something we should do. Although we will encounter many difficulties that seem to conflict with God’s plan, these difficulties should not become an obstacle to our faith, but should be an opportunity for us to rely on God. Without God, there will not be a satisfactory solution to the problems in life! The secret of reconciliation with God lies in having wisdom to discern, accept, and appreciate the time God has set. Suspicion or resentment of the time set by God is dangerous. This can make people disappointed, rebellious, and even disregarding God’s will and acting on their own. God has “put eternity into man’s heart” (v.11) means: we can never be completely satisfied with the pleasures and pursuits of the world. Since we were created in the image of God, we have spiritual hunger and thirst, and only the living God can truly satisfy us. God places the desire for eternity in our hearts and allows us to see the beauty of his creation, but we cannot see into the future or fully understand God’s plan. Therefore, we must fear God, be joyful and beneficent in the world, and be blessed by God as you walk the journey of life with Him.
PRAYER:
Come to God quietly, ask God to give you confidence, patience, and wisdom, and understand that God has made everything beautiful in its time according to His will. Ask God to lead you, no matter if your current situation is good or bad, that you will fear God, and not deviate from the path God destined for your life.
HYMN:
In His Time – https://youtu.be/aJeNUlNY7Iw
