A Time for Everything

"There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under heaven:" Ecclesiastes 3:1

Inferred in this introduction to one of the most quoted scriptures in the Bible is the fact that there is also a time and a season to not engage in every activity under heaven. If there is a right time to do it, there is also a wrong time to do it. You see, this is the beauty of the deeper meaning of this verse and those following.... indeed there is a time, but is it a soon time or a future time, a long season or a short season? Maybe we all need to work on our timing. Somehow we must find a way to get into God's timing of everything. How do we do that? The closer we walk with Him, the more we know how to go with His flow, how to sense 'the when' of things. Too often we get caught up in the temptation of thinking everything or something should happen NOW. Maybe not. NOW, may not be God's will. Later may be what He has planned. I may not like to hear that, but it is true nonetheless.

Conversely, we can equally be tempted by presuming that everything will happen somehow EVENTUALLY. EVENTUALLY may not be His will either. NOW, may actually be His timeline. How do we know? I don't want to be thinking EVENTUALLY when He wants it to happen NOW and I don't want to be thinking NOW, when He wants it to happen EVENTUALLY. This may seem confusing at first, but let me throw another possibility into the discussion and further frustrate us. There are things that should NEVER happen. What do we do when they do? Why would we ever think it's NOW or NEVER? Hmmmm... that gives me pause to think deeper. Is 'EVENTUALLY thinking', procrastinating? Not if it is His Will. Is 'NOW thinking' selfish? Not if it is His will. Is 'NEVER thinking' ever appropriate? If it is His Will. I hope I haven't lost you or totally given you a brain cramp, but I want us to think about God's timing. Simply put, the Time for Everything is His timing. Ahhhh, that simplifies it. We must seek Him so hard to know 'the when' of things. I pray that you will know His timing and that you will ALWAYS find yourself in the center of His will. The bottom line of this devotional is that indeed there is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: don't presume to understand God's timing, but seek it earnestly. I am asking so many more questions of Him these days before I think, do or say anything. Now that we've opened our spirits to the Lord's leading please enjoy the rest of the verses in this wonderful passage in the context of what we just shared.

"There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven:

a time to be born and a time to die.
a time to plant and a time to uproot.
a time to kill and a time to heal.
a time to tear down and a time to build.
a time to weep and a time to laugh.
a time to mourn and a time to dance.
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them.
a time to embrace and a time to refrain.
a time to keep and a time to throw away.
a time to tear and a time to mend.
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."

Wow, what amazing thoughts to consider. What time is it for you? Be careful of presuming that 'NOW, NEVER and EVENTUALLY thinking' is or isn't God's Will. Surrender yourself to whatever is His timing and draw very close to Him so you can sense 'the when'. Right now I am feeling slightly paralyzed and very free at the same time. Makes me want to trust Him so much more, to seek Him so much more. As we try to find and do His will let's endeavor to do so in His time too. Never look at the Word as endorsement for your predetermined thinking. Let His Word be fresh for you today.

Father, I seek Your will and timing,
Pastor Fred

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