God has appointed a proper time for everything. That is the meaning of the biblical passage that we find in Ecclesiastes 3:1-11.
Everything has its opportune moment; there is a time for everything that is done under heaven.
(Ecclesiastes 3:1)
Time! Something so abstract, but so important. Thanks to the measurement of time we can talk about the history of nations, our ancestors, our present and our future plans. Sometimes we could even say that we think of ourselves as owners and lords of our time. We plan what we want to do in a year, in 5, in 25…
However, in Psalm 103:15-16 we read the following: “A man, his days are like grass; blooms like the flower of the field, that the wind passed through it, and perished, and his place will know it no more ». life is fleeting. Only God knows for sure how many days, months or years of life each person will have.
Make me know, Lord, the limit of my days, and the time that I have left to live; let me know how ephemeral I am. Very short is the life you have given me; Before you, my years are nothing. A breath alone is fatal! selah
(Psalm 39:4-5)
But our life, whether long or short, offers us a wide variety of experiences that stimulate our emotions. There are many ups and downs! There are situations that make us dance with happiness. Others make us sob in pain and frustration. In verses 2-8 of Ecclesiastes 3 we find a list of 14 pairs of opposites that are just a sample of the many situations that we have to face in the different stages of our lives.
… a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to harvest;
a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to destroy, and a time to build;
a time to cry, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to jump for joy;
a time to scatter stones, and a time to collect them;
a time to hug, and a time to say goodbye;
a time to try, and a time to give up;
a time to keep, and a time to throw away;
a time to tear, and a time to sew;
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 3:2-8)
Born, die. Cry, laugh. Embrace, say goodbye Moments of joy and moments of sadness. When a baby is born, everyone around him rejoices. They buy gifts, prepare food for the family, celebrate with them. When someone dies, pain and sadness come to all those who loved and appreciated them. They share the same grief.
But the reality is that we do not own our time. We do not choose when to be born or when to die and many of the circumstances that come to us between those two events take us by surprise. We would like to live a life full of roses, but along with the roses we also receive the thorns.
We must remember that God has everything under his control. He knows what has happened forever and what will happen for eternity. He knows everything about us, what will happen in the next few minutes and how many years we will be on Earth. He has a purpose for each of us and places the pieces of the puzzle of our lives in accordance with that purpose.
And you know what? In the moment of God everything is beautiful. At the right time and from the right perspective, even the most difficult moments in life have a special design, intended by God, and we can be sure that they will be for our spiritual well-being (Romans 8:28).
Romans 8:28, the meaning of everything helps for good
God made everything beautiful at its time, and put in the human mind the sense of time, even when man cannot understand the work that God performs from beginning to end.
(Ecclesiastes 3:11)
Are we being prudent in the use of our time? Are we making the most of it by being a blessing to others?
So be careful how you live. Do not live as fools, but as wise, making the most of every opportune moment, because the days are evil. Therefore, do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
(Ephesians 5:15-17)
Let’s take advantage of the time that God grants us every day! May our priorities be in accordance with God’s, may we always live within his will. Let’s use the time well.
4 verses to find courage in difficult times