Welcome to this week’s blog. I felt compelled this week to share a topic that comes straight from God's Word (scripture in the Bible) that is applicable for all of mankind. According to God's Word, His every purpose under Heaven has a pre-destined time for it to come to be. To support God's Word, below is His scripture, His message for all of us. In this blog, let's take each verse by itself, and prove it beyond any doubts that God truly is in control of every human life, time as we understand it, and all purposes and plans under the Heavens.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (NKJ), God tells us this:
1 To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven:
2 A time to be born, And a time to die; A time to plant, And a time to pluck what is planted;
3 A time to kill, And a time to heal; A time to break down, And a time to build up;
4 A time to weep, And a time to laugh; A time to mourn, And a time to dance;
5 A time to cast away stones, And a time to gather stones; A time to embrace, And a time to refrain from embracing;
6 A time to gain, And a time to lose; A time to keep, And a time to throw away;
7 A time to tear, And a time to sew; A time to keep silence, And a time to speak;
8 A time to love, And a time to hate; A time of war, And a time of peace.
The most important element to remember is God is the Creator of the Heavens and the Earth. Therefore, it is according to His Will for matters to unfold, and in His perfect timing. In the beginning, God created the Heavens and the Earth. - Genesis 1:1 (ESV). Why am I convinced of this? First, because God's Word is the source of truth in my life, and I will never suppress the truth. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. - John 1:1 (ESV). If each of you ponder on this scripture and the following, I believe you will agree, the Heavens and the Earth are in God's mighty hands. All things were made through Him, and without Him was not any thing made that was made. - John 1:3 (ESV).
Verse 1 - I believe everything that happens to us is predefined or assigned a season according to God's seasons; His plans, whether it is a new born baby, the elderly die, a car accident where someone doesn't survive, a marriage, a new chapter in someone's life, a new job, a new career, a new relationship, and countless other experiences (the good and the not so good) we go through in the many seasons of our lives.
Verse 2 - As every farmer knows, there is a time to plant, and a time to pluck or harvest. But in the beginning, God was not only talking about the right season to plant a seed or the right season to harvest the crops. I believe this verse is also relevant to planting seeds when meeting new people in our lives, sharing God's Word with others, or words of advice to a stranger. Guidance and direction in helping each other is another means by which we plant seeds with our family, friends, in our careers, and in our ministries and fellowshipping with our Christian families, and non-Christian believers. Unbeknown to many, all of us are planting seeds as we move about the four corners of this world. Think about all of the interactions we have with other humans on an hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, yearly basis. All of us are planting seeds every day without even realizing we're doing it. So, God's plan is unfolding, as that's how He designed us, to be more like Him. When God was in the flesh (Jesus), He walked the earth and went from village to village, city to city planting seeds with His teachings and His ministry, and even in His conversations with strangers He met along the way.
Verse 3 - God tells us there's a specific time to kill, and a time to heal. In Exodus 20:13, God clearly says "Thou shalt not murder." How then is there a time to kill? What is His overall message in Verse 3 in regards to the definition of kill? In the original Hebrew Bible, the words "to kill" is translated to mean "to cut down or stab; cause to die; put to death, usually intentionally or knowingly.” According to Genesis 4:8, Sin brought decay and death into the world, and it wasn’t long before humans became involved in the act of killing. Now Cain talked with Abel his brother; and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him. - Genesis 4:8 (NKJ). In Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (NKJ), King Solomon recognizes that God controls the times and seasons of every human life. He is not advocating for capital punishment or mercy killing. He may have been speaking of killing to defend the innocent, for example law enforcement or the act of self-defense. One thing is for sure, the reality of life seasons, some people die, while others live on and are healed. A time to kill doesn't mean God's given us permission to go out and kill another human being. As Christians, we already know that's not what God intended by a time to kill. A time to kill in my interpretation means that there is a point in time where we need to take the step to kill or end a relationship. A time to kill or end a dysfunctional friendship, a failed marriage that has caused years of pain and suffering. I also believe killing may mean to be forced to kill an animal that is attacking me in order to save my life. If my life is threatened, in self-defense, I would need to take the necessary steps to kill in that life threatening moment.
A time to heal, most of us that have been through many life hardships, whether it's childhood abuse, abandonment, a broken marriage, divorce, physical, mental and emotional abuse, the loss of a child, spouse or parent before their time, family or friend rejection, we know all too well that healing takes time, God's time for healing. Healing is by God's design for all of us, so that we may turn to Him in our weakest moments when we are feeling hopeless, powerless, and vulnerable. It is by God's design that there's no other way in healing but turning upward. Looking up and turning to Him in our times of healing is also a part of His perfect plan.
Verse 4 - A time to weep, to laugh, to mourn, and a time to dance. I believe in God's Devine design of man, He knew when He created man of dust from the ground, and breathed into man's nostrils the breath of life, it was then that man became a living creature. On the 6th day of creation - Then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature. - Genesis 2:7 (ESV). From the beginning creation, God created man in His own image. In God's divine nature, God knew in the beginning, He would provide us traits, different than other creatures that walked the earth, a heart and soul, and emotional instincts for human survival. He ordained us to take time to weep, to seek laughter in our lives (healthy for the soul), to take time to mourn for those we lose or even to take the time to mourn the loss of a lifestyle we once thought was the perfect life for us. And He didn't forget the importance to take time to dance. Each with its own timing and within its own season. Looking back on my life, I could pin point exactly what seasons of my life I needed to weep, I found laugher, to mourn over losses, and when I could dance in celebration that God loves me so much that He knows exactly what I need to do in each season of my life before I actually reach that season.
Verse 5 - A time to cast away stones, a time to gather stones, a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing. What does God mean to cast away stones? I believe He's referencing there's a time in our lives where we need to clear away, cast out the old to prepare and make way for the new. I believe we can all agree there are seasons in our lives where the old ways need to cleared out, go away. The old door, our past, must close in order to open the new door, our future. It is when we open new doors to our future when it's time to gather stones to build a new and better life. By God's design He's also provides us a time to embrace a situation, an experience, a time to embrace relationships, and a time to refrain from embracing. Embracing also means to accept a new situation we are faced with in a specific season of our lives. God knows better than we do His timing for us to embrace or to accept seasonal changes in our lives. The most logical example of God's divine nature for embracing seasonal changes is His seasonal changes throughout the earth. We have four seasons - Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall. We embrace these seasonal changes by preparing and looking forward to the upcoming season. Very similar to the seasons of the year, we also lean on God's timing of our seasonal major life changes - careers, new job, moving to a new home, new city, new church, new friends, relocating to a new state, and learning to embrace new friends in a new season by fellowshipping with them. All of which we are designed to embrace seasonal changes within God's timing.
Verse 6 - In God's Plan, there's a time to gain, and a time to lose. There's a time to keep, and a time to throw away. Many of you may read this verse and think why would God want us to experience a time to lose in our lives. God has a purpose for everything under Heaven, right? If there is a time in our lives where God shows us blessings, we consider that a gain. But as we embrace these blessings, like anything, there must be a tradeoff. To gain something, we must give something up in return. I believe that's what God means as a time or a season to lose. Because what we gain, His blessings, are so much better than what we had before. As a child of God, I have learned that I have to be willing to give up things of this life in order to follow God's plan for my life. I cannot have one foot in this world, and the other foot in Christ. At the time of letting go, I may feel like I am losing, but as I surrender things of this life that I think are good for me, in exchange for eternal life with my Lord and Savior in Heaven, I have gained so much more than what I considered to be a loss. Just like there is a time to keep, and a time to throw away. I truly believe that God never intended my life or anyone's life to stay the same forever while on this earth. I truly believe God's Plan for my life is ever evolving, based on my faith, the surrender of things of this world, and as I grow deeper and deeper in my relationship with Christ. The old me had to go. I had to do a life inventory to see what was important to keep in my life, as opposed to gaining things of this world that have no eternal gain.
Verse 7 - There's a time to tear, and a time to sew. A time to keep silence, and a time to speak. Again, as we've seen thought these verses, God is quite clear on His timing of all things in this life and for good purpose. His plan for time for each of us only helps us to grow and evolve into the person He intended us to be. It is when we tear things down in our lives, rip apart that which is not good for us, rid the things in our lives that are not healthy for us that we actually become a better person. And, before we can sew new things in our life, we need to tear up the old. How does God help us do this? Through our relationship with Him. Our relationship with Christ is our rock, our stronghold. Our relationship with Christ builds faith (confidence), and patience (endurance) so we can then inherit God's promises with a flood of prophetic strength. God also says there's a time to keep silent. Why? When we keep silent, we mind our thoughts before we speak. When we are silent, we are quiet, and when we are quiet, God can change our thoughts. And when our thoughts change by God's hand, we mind our behavior in any situation. Have you ever been in a conversation that turned heated, and found yourself becoming more and more angry and upset? This is a great example where God tells us to be silent because when we choose to be silent, we will not regret something we say out of anger. God knows how to calm the waters. God's biblical lessons are spot on when it comes to human behaviors. He's got our best interest, and knows humans can easily get themselves into a lot of unnecessary trouble when it's really a time to be silent.
Verse 8 - A time to love, and a time to hate. A time of war, and a time of peace. There's no misunderstanding throughout God's Word that He encourages all of mankind to first love, Him, and then to also love one another. The word love appears in the Bible hundreds of times, depending on what version you are reading. And, though it is not the most used word in the Bible, it is one of the central themes of the Old and New Testaments. In regards to a time to hate, according to Amos 5:15, God commands us to hate what is evil, and love what is good. Hate evil, love good; Establish justice in the gate. It may be that the Lord God of hosts Will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph. - Amos 5:15 (NKJ). In Verse 8, God is also telling us that He wants us to be repulsed, and disgusted by the sins of this world. God's point is for us to even eliminate or eradicate sin from our lives whenever we can. So, God's message is we are to hate sin so much that we are repulsed by any type of sin. Therefore, we are to refuse to participate or practice the sins of this world. So, how do we start to discipline our life in order to eliminate sin? By living out our life diligently by following the 10 Commandments. And then there's a time for war, and a time for peace. Again, this is God's message for the matters of this world, and what has, and will continue to take place throughout all generations. God has made it very clear, there is a time for every purpose under the Heavens. Remember, God's Word applies to all of mankind, every tribe and every nation, and our every matter in this life to the end of time.
To take God's message to another level relative to the world we live in, let's go back in time to 1950 - The Byrd's song called "Turn, Turn, Turn" from 1965. A hit song like this is more about the message to humanity, and how this leads us back to the source of truth - God's Word. Rising to the top of the charts, the Byrd's received a Grammy Award in the Hall of Fame for this song. Although their lyrics is not in the exact order of Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (NKJ), it is sharing the same universal message God shared 2,000 years earlier.
To everything (turn, turn, turn) There is a season (turn, turn, turn) And a time to every purpose, under heaven
A time to be born, a time to die A time to plant, a time to reap A time to kill, a time to heal A time to laugh, a time to weep
To everything (turn, turn, turn) There is a season (turn, turn, turn) And a time to every purpose, under heaven
A time to build up, a time to break down A time to dance, a time to mourn A time to cast away stones, a time to gather stones together
To everything (turn, turn, turn) There is a season (turn, turn, turn) And a time to every purpose, under heaven
A time of love, a time of hate A time of war, a time of peace A time you may embrace, a time to refrain from embracing
To everything (turn, turn, turn) There is a season (turn, turn, turn) And a time to every purpose, under heaven
A time to gain, a time to lose A time to rend, a time to sew A time for love, a time for hate A time for peace, I swear it's not too late
In closing, a time to every purpose under Heaven is through God's Word, God's truth. The author, King Solomon, in Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (NKJ), recognizes that God does control the times and seasons of every human life. Looking back at my life, I too can attest that everything meant to be in my life has been fulfilled, and will continue to be fulfilled. And what is not meant to be, will also continue to be fulfilled, according to God's Plan. But only because at a certain point in my life I had to surrender my own plans, and believe with confidence, and have patience for endurance in trusting Jesus as my Lord and Savior that my life will be fulfilled according to His plan.
I believe for everything in this lifetime, there is a time for peace. Therefore, the more deeper my faith grows, and the more seeds I plant, I swear too, it's never too late to change our way of life, and live more in the image of Christ. To everything, there is a time for every purpose UNDER HEAVEN.
Blessings until next week my brothers and sisters in Christ.
Debra Pauli Unstoppable Believer
Scripture Quotes: Holy Bible: New International Version (NIV) / New King James (NKJ) / English Standard Version (ESV)
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The Byrds' version: Turn! Turn! Turn! - a song written by Pete Seeger in the late 1950's, and first recorded in1959: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4ga_M5Zdn4
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