A Time for Every Purpose under Heaven

Before the worlds began, God had a perfect plan for your life, a time for every purpose under Heaven...

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

In reflecting upon the experiences of the past week that I wrote about in my blog post When Life Tests your Life Verse which you can read about HERE, I feel as though I've experienced almost every matter under Heaven described in the above verses from Ecclesiastes. I realize that isn't a typical occurrence, and in my case, although the quantity of experiences and emotions was great, the duration was thankfully fleeting in the grand scheme of things.

A Time to Look Closely

Let's now consider the woman who had the disabling spirit for 18 years...

 Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath.  And behold, there was a woman who had had a disabling spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could 

not fully straighten herself.  When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said to her, 

“Woman, you are freed from your disability.”  And he laid his hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and she glorified God. 

Luke 13:10-13

You see at the right time, God's perfect time, He freed her from her disability, not a moment before and not a moment too late.  One might say, but 18 years Karen??  That's a very long time!  And I'm sure we all can share something we've been going through for years and years that we have not yet been freed from.   If I'm being honest, I have grown weary of several health issues that I have been dealing with for many years.  But God's Grace...

God's grace helps us to endure.  And if we look closely, we can see that even in the season of trial, there are always times of refreshing...

Healing in another area of our lives as a result of being sick...

While we are being broken down, the Lord is building up our faith...

In the midst of a season of weeping, we manage to laugh...

While in mourning, our hearts find the courage to dance to honor the memory of that which we mourn...

And I'm sure you could add to this list of ways that the Lord has ministered to you while you've walked a difficult road.

A Time to Learn

But I know it isn't easy, and frankly, can be downright difficult to have an eternal perspective, especially when you are in the thick of it. We are so consumed in the moment and basically in survival mode, that our hope may be dampened.

It's interesting, last week when I was in the thick of the health crisis with my husband, I was in survival mode, but I felt God's grace in profound ways.  I felt strong even though I was weak.  I stayed fairly upbeat, even though I was beaten down.

Yet now that the crisis is over and I am no longer in survival mode, I feel weak and irritable.  I'm not implying that God's Grace has left me, but I'm wondering if I am trying to do things in my own strength again because I am not in survival mode.  I wrote more about this in my post, You're in God's Life-Saving Care which you can read here.

Growing up in the 60s, I was first exposed to the verses in Ecclesiastes through the song by the Byrds, Turn! Turn! Turn!  I find words to music to be a great tool for memorization.

What if, and I am being serious here, when you are experiencing a particular season under Heaven, you were to sing this song to yourself, allowing the hope-filled words to permeate your situation and fill you with hope.  

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!

Pete Seeger

Time is fleeting and this too shall pass.  What you are worried about this week, this month or this year, won't be a problem next week, next month or next year.

And as you calm yourself in His Great Hope during a difficult season, ask yourself, What about God am I learning?  What about myself am I learning?  What about obedience am I learning?  What about my Faith am I learning?

We can rest in the fact that the Lord WILL set us free either in this life or through going on to the next, but He WILL INDEED SET US FREE!

 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

1 Peter 5:10-11

Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.

Romans 12:12

                          For additional thoughts on the life we have been given here on earth,                                    please click on the following titles:

A Time for Every Season

5 Ways to Live out God's Promise for the New Year

How Many Days Do You Have Left?

God is the Eternal Timekeeper, and our times are in His hands for His redemption and good purposes.  Indeed, a time for every purpose under Heaven...

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