A TIME FOR EVERYTHING - "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" (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8).

A wise man once said, "You go no place by accident."

From a theological perspective, this quote magnifies absolute truth that God is sovereign over all creation and time is a critical component to His sovereignty being revealed to mankind. God's sovereignty encompasses past, present and future, for nothing happens outside of His knowledge and control that He does not cause or allow for His own purposes according to His will.

Time is the method in which God reveals His sovereignty, because every moment of our lives is defined with a specific purpose ordained by His authority.

"For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen" (Romans 11:36).

We cannot run and hide from His Presence no matter how hard we try. Therefore, we must come to the point where we accept who He infinitely is compared to our finite existence, so that we would accept His sovereign rule rather than reject or rebel against His almighty supremacy.  

"Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!" (Psalm 139:7-8).

GOD’S SOVEREIGNTY:

God's sovereignty is crucial to our understanding of Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, because without it, the moments in time Solomon points out are without eternal value or significance.

For the Christ-follower, sanctification is the predominant purpose for why we experience joy, pain, blessings and trials throughout our lives. Therefore, we must prepare our hearts to receive whatever comes our way so that our faith would not be shaken by seasons of life that attempt to undermine our faith and trust in the Lord.

That is why God identifies Himself in the pages of Scripture as the author and perfecter of our faith. 

"Consecrate yourselves, therefore, and be holy, for I am the LORD your God. Keep my statutes and do them; I am the LORD who sanctifies you" (Leviticus 20:7-8).

We must also realize, though, that God's sovereignty does not identify Him as tempter, but purifier of our faith.

"Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire'" (James 1:13-14).

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God" (Hebrews 12:1-2).

When we embrace the truth that we go no place by accident, we understand that seasons of life are inevitable, but the beauty of the Gospel gives clarity and direction to how we embrace each season.

At times our lives may metaphorically mirror spring, summer, autumn, or winter, for there are both beauty and challenges that come with each season which affect our attitude and perspective. We can easily point out their advantages and disadvantages, but the eye of the beholder determines what trajectory his/her focus will gravitate toward.

SEASONS OF LIFE:

There are certain aspects of the seasons people love, but those same seasons have aspects people hate as well. For example, one may love the new birth of springtime which turns dormant brown grass to luscious green and causes flowers and trees to bloom, but the pollen floating in the air may cause incredible health issues and discomfort which inevitably compels a longing for summer.

Moreover, one may crave relief from hot summer temperatures with the cooler temperatures of autumn that unveil a kaleidoscope of colors as leaves change color, but the beauty of autumn quickly vanishes to a sea of brown and makes us crave the holiday seasons winter brings as well.

Similarly, our spiritual lives mirror the fluctuations we experience throughout the seasons. One day goes in one direction and the next follows a completely different course.

What we must realize is the seasons of life Solomon portrays are not confined by duration. Time can be measured in seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, years, etc. Therefore, what we experience can stay for a short period of time or last longer than we anticipate. The more important issue is how we will respond to the season of life we find ourselves in.

The danger we face during seasons of trial is blaming God for our pain and misfortune, complaining repeatedly, and becoming so shortsighted that we miss the big picture of His sovereignty. In these moments, we must remember the promises which Scripture declares.

"When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior" (Isaiah 43:2-3a).

TIME:

The true beauty of seasons is they are typically limited by time and have a defined start and end date, so we can rest assured God shall reveal His plan, purpose, and sovereign will in due time when we are ready to receive it.

We may be facing unemployment, past due bills, critical test results, prodigal children, marital conflict, loss of a loved one, illnesses, etc., which cause us to grow weary and lose hope that God hears our cry for help. Again, Scripture affirms that hope is not found in our strength and will, but the Lord's sovereign provision and timing which testify who He is and how we should respond to Him.

"The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. 'The LORD is my portion,' says my soul, 'therefore I will hope in him.' The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD" (Lamentations 3:22-26).

Conversely, we are to enjoy seasons of blessing and harvest when the Lord provides. There is nothing wrong with celebrating financial provisions, the birth of a child, a decision of salvation, continued good health, moments of conquest, accomplishment and graduation, quality time with those we love, etc.

The key is to give credit where credit is due and proclaim glory to God who ordains our seasons of bountiful blessing.

"Praise the LORD! I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart, in the company of the upright, in the congregation. Great are the works of the LORD, studied by all who delight in them. Full of splendor and majesty is his work, and his righteousness endures forever. He has caused his wondrous works to be remembered; the LORD is gracious and merciful" (Psalm 111:1-4).

ATTITUDE:

We must also be extremely aware of our fleshly propensities to confuse God's provision with expectation and entitlement. We are owed nothing by God and must guard ourselves from thinking more highly of ourselves than we ought, lest we become theologically confused. Let us look no further than Christ's teaching to affirm this truth.

"He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted" (Luke 18:9-14).

Indeed, for everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven. Undoubtedly, our seasons will be a mixed bag of blessings and trials, but our attitude must be consistent regardless of the season we find ourselves in.

Moreover, if we can find the silver lining God provides in our greatest trials, we will not be overcome with fear. At times, God's greatest provision to us may be thorns which remind us to not live independent from Him but dependent solely on His sovereignty, just as Paul did.

"So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong" (2 Corinthians 12:7-10).

BOTTOM-LINE:

If we can learn to find the blessings in trials and be aware of the trials in blessings, we will more easily embrace whatever season comes our way, trusting in God's Word as our source of strength, because "the Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance" (2 Peter 3:9).

He longs for intimacy with us and will stop at no expense to pursue us to the ends of the earth because He loves us unconditionally. For His love fuels His will for us, and the seasons we face are simply a means of His sanctifying power and purpose in our lives if we submit to His authority and obey His Word without excuse or reservation. 

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on March 8, 2016 and has been updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

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