“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.,”
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 NIV.
Some of the older generation might know this as a song by the Byrds, “Turn, Turn, Turn,” but it was actually recorded sometime in 900 BC from the book of Ecclesiastes.
The writer wrestles with what to do with his time. What are we here for? How do we use our time wisely?
We still struggle with empty moments.
God created time when He set the stars, moon and sun into place, along with envoys to watch and take note of the changes:
“And God said, “Let there be lights in the vault (God called the vault “sky,” Genesis 1:8), of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark sacred times, and days and years,” Genesis 1:14, NIV.
We have different markers of time: clocks, watches, calendars, and phones. And we yield to them just as willingly. We observe as moments pass, and we anticipate a moment yet to come.
When our son got engaged, we marked the calendar. As he planned his wedding, our day planners were filled with activities leading up to his nuptials. We desire for that day to arrive, then in the same breath we say, “It’s happening too quickly! I need more time to finish my tasks!”
Yet, we know, “Time stops for no man." Not even the mother of the groom!
The writer of Ecclesiastes pondered what life was for, and therefore, what was the purpose for the time we have here on earth? Solomon, the most agreed upon writer of Ecclesiastes, ended up understanding everything is under God, even our twisted broken world and every moment recorded or those unrecorded.
The writer didn’t mention that God would eventually straighten out what man broke. Mankind has tried to do their best to repair what they could, but as the verses above mention, there seems to be two sides to everything. There’s “a time to live and a time to die….” At the end, all is vanity. Emptiness. What can man actually achieve on his own?
I tend to be a bit more optimistic than Solomon, because I know there’s hope.
Hope for a generation to know and obey God. To do His work and see His power and glory. Hope for freedom. Hope of our salvation. Even hope for a marriage that's just beginning. Two imperfect people, joining together for a journey with God—a hope-filled future.
As time goes by, my son will hopefully experience a moment of reflection over his child getting married, and wonder, “When did they grow up? Where did the time go? It sure flew by.” As I have done.
Time, like the ocean’s waves, continues whether I am aware of it or not.
Let’s be aware of the “time” we have together and make the most of it.
How can we do that successfully? By listening and following as God leads us. He is aware of every second and has the wisdom to instruct us in the best to go.
He will not fill our days with frivolous or useless things. He makes the most of every minute.
Will we trust Him to be our supernatural clock?
Father,
You do fill our days with overflowing goodness. I definitely know the difference from “my” planned out days and those of Yours. Your days always have an element of deep success attached. They gladden my heart and fill my soul with a feeling of a job well done.
My days are like swimming in a pool—cool and refreshing at times, until I realize I’m swimming in my sweatpants and have been in the water too long—my skin is shriveled.
Your days always work out well. Not that they are always filled with happy happenings, but even in the frustration, You are there. Even in my blunderings, You are there.
You are with me. Thank You.
And there is peace.
Thank You for all You have done for and with mankind throughout the ages!
Help us to use our time wisely to glorify You.
Amen.
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