Revive: New Seasons
Do you know what time it is? Our lesson for Sunday, from Ecclesiastes, challenged us to think about what what time (or season) we are in, and where God might be calling us to embrace something new:
1 There’s a season for everything
and a time for every matter under the heavens:
and a time for every matter under the heavens:
2 a time for giving birth and a time for dying,
a time for planting and a time for uprooting what was planted,
a time for planting and a time for uprooting what was planted,
3 a time for killing and a time for healing,
a time for tearing down and a time for building up,
a time for tearing down and a time for building up,
4 a time for crying and a time for laughing,
a time for mourning and a time for dancing,
a time for mourning and a time for dancing,
5 a time for throwing stones and a time for gathering stones,
a time for embracing and a time for avoiding embraces,
a time for embracing and a time for avoiding embraces,
6 a time for searching and a time for losing,
a time for keeping and a time for throwing away,
a time for keeping and a time for throwing away,
7 a time for tearing and a time for repairing,
a time for keeping silent and a time for speaking,
a time for keeping silent and a time for speaking,
8 a time for loving and a time for hating,
a time for war and a time for peace.
a time for war and a time for peace.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
It’s not easy to make changes. As people, most of us really dislike the idea of changing anything. We love our habits! But, oftentimes, change is unavoidable. What God is saying through Ecclesiastes is this: the wise embrace change when it appears. Our lives are series of transitions, but one thing remains the same always - God is with us, through it all. God calls us to focus on God in the seasons, and move through them with confidence, not fear.
When was the last time you had to make a big change in your life, going from one season to another? What got you through it? Was your family there for you? Was your church there for you? Did people know of your struggle, or did you muddle through on your own?
There may be a ‘time for every matter under the heavens’, but knowing that doesn’t make it any easier, most of the time. If we can remember that God is with us, not just in Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, but also in the family of God - the church - we can get through it all. And even when things seem so, so, difficult, our poem from Ecclesiastes reminds of something else - peace gets the final word.
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor Jarrod
That passage in Ecclesiastes has always been one of my favorites. It's amazing how timeless it still is. That in itself is proof that God was, is and will always be in our lives. What a comforting feeling that is. No matter how often we let Him down, He will never let us down. He is always there, waiting in the wings, to save us from ourselves. The peace that brings is
ReplyDeletepriceless.