Ecclesiastes Part 6
Eternity Online: John Edmiston (Editor)
Eternity-Inspiration for 5th October 1997
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Ecclesiastes part 6 - God's Clock, God's Symphony
(Ecclesiastes 3:1-11 NIV) There is a time for everything, and a
season for every activity under heaven: {2} a time to be born and a
time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, {3} a time to kill
and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, {4} a
time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,
{5} a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to
embrace and a time to refrain, {6} a time to search and a time to give
up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, {7} a time to tear and a
time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, {8} a time to
love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace. {9} What
does the worker gain from his toil? {10} I have seen the burden God
has laid on men. {11} He has made everything beautiful in its time. He
has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom
what God has done from beginning to end.
"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity
under heaven." Life is like music. First there is timing; piano
teachers have a metronome on top of their pianos which accurately
mark the beat. Then there is the "seasons" or the score of the music
with its notation "now soft, now loud, now fast, now slow...this note
here, this chord there..". In our lives there is the metronome of the
years and the music score of the events those years contain. Our
lives are God's symphony of many movements and each thing has its
season. Ecclesiastes says of God's clock "He has made everything
beautiful in its time." Even grief and war and death can be
beautiful in their appopriate places. Now the "score" is not at all
obvious. You see the tune comes from Eternity. "He has also set
eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has
done from beginning to end."
These verses point out that its not what we do as much as when we do
it. Birth and death, planting and uprooting have their place in life.
However if we uproot when we should be planting then we cause harm.
All activities have their place under heaven. All notes have their
place in a symphony. At the right time. Out of time they jar our
nerves.
I wonder how much of the frantic pace of modern life can be laid at
the feet of people losing touch with God's clock and God's symphony?
We find ourselves throwing away what we should be keeping or loving
what we should hate or cherishing what we should kill. There are
things the Christian should "hate" and reject. Sin, greed and
corruption are among them.There are things we should "put to death"
and not cherish at all. Lust, immorality and passion are among them.
Jesus lived perfectly in the timing of God. Lest just take one
example: "There is a time to be born and a time to die." Jesus was
born "in the fulness of time" (Gal 4:4) and at the right time Christ
died for the ungodly. (Gal 5:6)
How can we live according to God's clock and as part of God's
symphony?
Firstly don't worry, fret or be anxious. Most of our disasters are
due to impatience and anxiety."(Psalms 37:8 NRSV) Refrain from anger,
and forsake wrath. Do not fret--it leads only to evil."
Secondly spend time in prayer and get in touch with the tunes of
Eternity. After a while you will sense the rhythm of God's purposes
and be able to harmonise with them.
Thirdly accept that your destiny may be very different from "normal".
You may be like Noah building an ark in the midst of a world deaf to
God. Go ahead anyway.
Fourthly - pursue love in accordance with the Scriptures. Love is
from God for God is love. Love is the melody line of Heaven. We need
to study the Bible and be challenged by its ethics and its
imperatives if our love is to grow into something more than a good
sentiment. Love based on Scripture grows into the grand wonderful
agape love that is the tune of Heaven.
Lastly look around you at the works of God and get a sense of what
the Father is doing and go and join in. (John 5:19-20 NIV) Jesus
gave them this answer: "I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing
by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because
whatever the Father does the Son also does. {20} For the Father loves
the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, to your amazement he will
show him even greater things than these.
Prayer:
Lord of Heaven, enable us to know Your timing in all things. Make
our life like that of Jesus with every element in its right place
and time. You have set eternity in our hearts Lord and we cannot be
satisfied with the clatter, rush, and hurry of this world. May Your
grace make our lives gracious. Amen.
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