Friday, February 24, 2017

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 is a very familiar passage of scripture, though not everyone may know that it is scripture.  ECC3:1  To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:  ECC3:02 A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;  ECC3:03 A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;  ECC3:04 A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;  ECC3:05 A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;  ECC3:06 A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;  ECC3:07 A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;  ECC3:08 A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.  It seems best to print the verses all together and look at them individually.  There really is a season for everything, and though we don't always acknowledge it there is a purpose for everything.  We may not always see it, but the purpose is there.  There is a time to be born and a time to die.  It is what we do between those two that matters.  Planting and plucking are variations of the same.  We plant gardens and wait for the harvest.  The time to kill we often are to good at, but the time to heal we often forget.  I think we have to be very careful about when we say it is time to kill, though.  A time to kill may apply more to killing for food than killing each other.   Sometimes things must be broken down before they can be built up again.  We may have to break down old walls and habits to build up new works of God.  There are indeed times when tears and mourning are appropriate, but through Christ there is even more reason for joy.  This world is not the end.  The contrasts continue in the next four verses, and we can see all this in the world today.  Nothing stays constantly good or bad, but God remains the same through it all.  We just need to ensure that through it all that we are working for His glory under His leadership.

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