Hi Friends! It's hard to believe it's already Wednesday! Where in the world does the time go? I had the wonderful blessing to spend yesterday with two of my most precious friends in the wonderful city of Tuscaloosa. We enjoyed ourselves so much - we shopped, ate, laughed, saw some of the devastating storm damage, shopped and then ate some more. I must admit, I'm exhausted! Guess I truly am getting older - or was it the heat??
Today, as we journey into God's Word, I'd like for us to go to the book of Ecclesiastes Chapter 3. Please read below:
1 For everything there is a season,a time for every activity under heaven.
2 A time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant and a time to harvest.
3 A time to kill and a time to heal. A time to tear down and a time to build up.
4 A time to cry and a time to laugh. A time to grieve and a time to dance.
5 A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones. A time to embrace and a time to turn away.
6 A time to search and a time to quit searching. A time to keep and a time to throw away.
7 A time to tear and a time to mend. A time to be quiet 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 do people really get for all their hard work? 10 I have seen the burden God has placed on us all. 11 Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end. 12 So I concluded there is nothing better than to be happy and enjoy ourselves as long as we can. 13 And people should eat and drink and enjoy the fruits of their labor, for these are gifts from God. 14 And I know that whatever God does is final. Nothing can be added to it or taken from it. God’s purpose is that people should fear him. 15 What is happening now has happened before, and what will happen in the future has happened before, because God makes the same things happen over and over again.
16 I also noticed that under the sun there is evil in the courtroom. Yes, even the courts of law are corrupt! 17 I said to myself, “In due season God will judge everyone, both good and bad, for all their deeds.” 18 I also thought about the human condition—how God proves to people that they are like animals. 19 For people and animals share the same fate—both breathe[a] and both must die. So people have no real advantage over the animals. How meaningless! 20 Both go to the same place—they came from dust and they return to dust. 21 For who can prove that the human spirit goes up and the spirit of animals goes down into the earth? 22 So I saw that there is nothing better for people than to be happy in their work. That is why we are here! No one will bring us back from death to enjoy life after we die.
This is such a popular passage of Scripture. There was a folk song written by Pete Seeger with these verses as the lyrics back in the 60's and recorded by The Byrds. The song includes the words, "Turn! Turn! Turn!" and "it's not too late" in the lyrics and is one that has become a classic hit from that era. http://www.jango.com/music/The+Byrds?l=0
As we were driving through Tuscaloosa yesterday, I found myself marveling at how selective the damage was. In certain neighborhoods and commercial areas, there was absolutely nothing left, other buildings were terribly damaged, picked up off the foundation and moved and others had very little damage and then in one small direction to the left or right of the path of the storm there'd be no damage at all. There were people who lost everything including their lives, people who lost everything but survived, people who lost some things but nothing significant, and there were people who didn't lose a single thing except maybe a few days at school or work.
The city was hustling and bustling and people were back at work, enjoying the parks, seeing the sights, dining in the restaurants and so forth and in the damaged areas there were construction workers who were in the process of cleaning up and putting things back together.
It was just such an interesting "life" example of this passage of Scripture. To everything there is a season, a time and a purpose under Heaven. God has everything in His view, His plan, His sight and His control. No one has the ability to take their life or plan their days beyond the scope of His Master plan. There is good and bad, prosperity and poverty, happiness and mourning, sowing and reaping and so on. King Solomon summed up this writing by saying (my interpretation), we get one shot at this life - we should make the best of it while we're here and enjoy it as it comes no matter what the season.
That's so true. Time is short, beauty is fleeting - we truly should enjoy our lives one day at a time, the people who cross our paths, the good, the bad and the ugly of it. All of it has purpose, none of it is wasted in God's economy and if we'll cooperate with Him, He will direct our paths so much better than we can on our own.
I'd like to close today by encouraging you not to fret over the future. It's ok to plan and prepare - but to obsess over it, worry about it, try to predict it won't really change the outcome. The greatest way we can honor the Lord is to live our lives each day looking for ways to serve Him using our gifts and talents, and to live a life of gratitude, knowing that He has specifically numbered our days according to our purpose under Heaven. And when times get tough (and they will), remember Jesus' words to us....
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33
Have a blessed and joyous day!! Amy
Today, as we journey into God's Word, I'd like for us to go to the book of Ecclesiastes Chapter 3. Please read below:
Ecclesiastes 3
A Time for Everything
1 For everything there is a season,a time for every activity under heaven.
2 A time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant and a time to harvest.
3 A time to kill and a time to heal. A time to tear down and a time to build up.
4 A time to cry and a time to laugh. A time to grieve and a time to dance.
5 A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones. A time to embrace and a time to turn away.
6 A time to search and a time to quit searching. A time to keep and a time to throw away.
7 A time to tear and a time to mend. A time to be quiet 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 do people really get for all their hard work? 10 I have seen the burden God has placed on us all. 11 Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end. 12 So I concluded there is nothing better than to be happy and enjoy ourselves as long as we can. 13 And people should eat and drink and enjoy the fruits of their labor, for these are gifts from God. 14 And I know that whatever God does is final. Nothing can be added to it or taken from it. God’s purpose is that people should fear him. 15 What is happening now has happened before, and what will happen in the future has happened before, because God makes the same things happen over and over again.
The Injustices of Life
16 I also noticed that under the sun there is evil in the courtroom. Yes, even the courts of law are corrupt! 17 I said to myself, “In due season God will judge everyone, both good and bad, for all their deeds.” 18 I also thought about the human condition—how God proves to people that they are like animals. 19 For people and animals share the same fate—both breathe[a] and both must die. So people have no real advantage over the animals. How meaningless! 20 Both go to the same place—they came from dust and they return to dust. 21 For who can prove that the human spirit goes up and the spirit of animals goes down into the earth? 22 So I saw that there is nothing better for people than to be happy in their work. That is why we are here! No one will bring us back from death to enjoy life after we die.
This is such a popular passage of Scripture. There was a folk song written by Pete Seeger with these verses as the lyrics back in the 60's and recorded by The Byrds. The song includes the words, "Turn! Turn! Turn!" and "it's not too late" in the lyrics and is one that has become a classic hit from that era. http://www.jango.com/music/The+Byrds?l=0
As we were driving through Tuscaloosa yesterday, I found myself marveling at how selective the damage was. In certain neighborhoods and commercial areas, there was absolutely nothing left, other buildings were terribly damaged, picked up off the foundation and moved and others had very little damage and then in one small direction to the left or right of the path of the storm there'd be no damage at all. There were people who lost everything including their lives, people who lost everything but survived, people who lost some things but nothing significant, and there were people who didn't lose a single thing except maybe a few days at school or work.
The city was hustling and bustling and people were back at work, enjoying the parks, seeing the sights, dining in the restaurants and so forth and in the damaged areas there were construction workers who were in the process of cleaning up and putting things back together.
It was just such an interesting "life" example of this passage of Scripture. To everything there is a season, a time and a purpose under Heaven. God has everything in His view, His plan, His sight and His control. No one has the ability to take their life or plan their days beyond the scope of His Master plan. There is good and bad, prosperity and poverty, happiness and mourning, sowing and reaping and so on. King Solomon summed up this writing by saying (my interpretation), we get one shot at this life - we should make the best of it while we're here and enjoy it as it comes no matter what the season.
That's so true. Time is short, beauty is fleeting - we truly should enjoy our lives one day at a time, the people who cross our paths, the good, the bad and the ugly of it. All of it has purpose, none of it is wasted in God's economy and if we'll cooperate with Him, He will direct our paths so much better than we can on our own.
I'd like to close today by encouraging you not to fret over the future. It's ok to plan and prepare - but to obsess over it, worry about it, try to predict it won't really change the outcome. The greatest way we can honor the Lord is to live our lives each day looking for ways to serve Him using our gifts and talents, and to live a life of gratitude, knowing that He has specifically numbered our days according to our purpose under Heaven. And when times get tough (and they will), remember Jesus' words to us....
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33
Have a blessed and joyous day!! Amy
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