Ecclesiastes 3:1-15

Joseph Wood Krutch, a professor of English at Columbia University in 1937 said, “There is no reason to suppose that a man’s life has any more meaning than the life of the humblest insect that crawls from one annihilation to another.”

As believers, we know this isn’t true. There is more to this life than merely existing. But, even a non-believer should be able to spot the differences between humans and nature. One ant is pretty much indistinguishable from another. All humans are unique in appearance and personality. You could write a general book about the life of an ant, detailing their various roles within a colony. You couldn’t write a book generalizing humanity. We have different cultures and histories.

We have a God who is in control of time, and everything in it.

Time and Place

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

'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. '

Solomon outlines that everything has a time and place. He phrases everything as a pair to show the completeness of these things, and everything he mentions is generally out of our control.

We don’t control when we are born, or when we die. The seasons dictate when we plant and sow. We aren’t to murder people, so our time to kill would be in reaction to something, such as acting in self-defense. We don’t control how we heal from injury either, other than using medicine that typically is derived from nature itself.

We don’t control when something makes us happy or sad. We react to things God has placed in our lives. So, the things we can control are our reaction to life’s struggles and blessings.

We can respond by turning away from God, or we can trust in God and look for ways to glorify Him in how we handle different situations.

Romans 8:28

'And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. '

What are some ways we should respond to troubling times in our lives to show God glory? How should we respond to blessings?

Enjoy Life

Ecclesiastes 3:9-13

'What gain has the worker from his toil? I have seen the business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. 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. I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God’s gift to man. '

At this point, Solomon gets more into the how and why of God’s timing. He shows that God is sovereign to all happenings. He has also put eternity on our hearts, meaning we are to look beyond this life, focusing on eternity with Him.

Ultimately, we don’t have to understand God’s timing. We are merely called to respond faithfully to it.

What are some intentional ways we can enjoy the time God has given us?

God Works

Ecclesiastes 3:14-15

'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. That which is, already has been; that which is to be, already has been; and God seeks what has been driven away. '

God has included us in His eternal plan. We are to fear Him. Not in the way of a slave before a brutal master, but as a child submitting to a loving parent.

I want you to reflect on your life. Do you live your life in a way that shows your trust in God, and are thankful for the blessings and time He has given you?

Conclusion

To see the timeliness of God’s creation, we have to look no further than our own back yard. It’s easy to feel the changes in weather during the different annual seasons, but do you really know what goes on in nature during these periods of change?

In Fall, all of the nutrients high in the trees begin their descent to the ground via falling leaves. Insects and bacteria begin to feed on these leaves mixing them with the top layer of soil. Grass goes dormant and begins to break down with the leaves, trapping moisture, and preventing nutrients from being removed from the soil.

As winter comes, insects begin to die, or burrow deeper into the soil, allowing nutrients to flow beyond the top layer. Nature becomes dormant and gray. In these moments it’s hard to see the beauty these actions will bring come spring.

But, we have to remember that God’s timing is perfect. He has a plan for everything, even when we don’t see it. Sometimes in the darker, colder times of our lives, we can’t see God at work beneath the falling leaves of life’s troubles.

In the silence of our personal winters, God still cares for us. Think of the intricate detail He takes when caring for nature. How much more so does God care for us?

Matthew 10:29-31

'Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. '

So take heart in knowing that God is renewing us in times of weariness.

Isaiah 40:30-31

'Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.'