Ecclesiastes 3:1-4 and 11-13

1 There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:
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,

11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. 12 I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. 13 That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God.







Today’s title is “There is time for everything”

We envy people with great gifts and blessings. We wish we could only get a small portion of their blessings. But the Bible shows multiple reasons that we should not be so envious. One of such consolations comes from the life lessons of Solomon. Solomon had great wisdom He acquired great wealth and glory. But he had his own share of pain and agony. There was a time that He felt the bottomless emptiness of life. He wasn’t exempted from the bitterness of life at all. Today’s passage is one of such reflections on his life. He says that there’s time for everything. Then he goes through the vicissitude of things such as birth and death, mourns and dance, weeps and laughs. So what does this reflection suggest for us? I believe it tells us to be humble, not proud at any time. Our success and glory can easily go away. It also suggests us not to lose hope in the face of loss and setbacks. They will not last forever either. But the ultimate purpose of all this reflection is for us to seek and trust in God. The vicissitude of different things shows the brevity of human life. When people come to know the brevity of their life, they will look for ways to gain eternity. The pursuit of eternity will eventually lead us to God. The awareness of emptiness and hopelessness drives us to look for the true meaning of life and true hope. We can find them only in God. When we look at all things from the perspective of God, everything has meaning and all things are beautiful. How was your life in this passing year? What do you hope for the coming year? We all have wishes and hopes for the new year. But we really never know what the future holds. However, if you have God and eternity in your hearts, then it surely will be all beautiful. Amen!