Ecclesiastes 3:1-8(MSG)
There’s a Right Time for Everything
3 There’s an opportune time to do things, a right time for everything on the earth:
2-8 A right time for birth and another for death,
A right time to plant and another to reap,
A right time to kill and another to heal,
A right time to destroy and another to construct,
A right time to cry and another to laugh,
A right time to lament and another to cheer,
A right time to make love and another to abstain,
A right time to embrace and another to part,
A right time to search and another to count your losses,
A right time to hold on and another to let go,
A right time to rip out and another to mend,
A right time to shut up and another to speak up,
A right time to love and another to hate,
A right time to wage war and another to make peace.
In this season, I have personally struggled to stay in the will of God. You would think, having gone through some of life’s most challenging experiences, my faith would be on an all time high, and my trust in God would not waiver at all. But hey, I realize i’m flesh and blood. One would wonder, so what was the point of it all? To be completely transparent, I know all that I have learned was going to be tested, but I didn’t know I was going to go through my test now.
I think of men with crazy faith like Job who endured some of the toughest life experiences, and even the Israelites who after being blessed, still found a way to question why they were lead away from trial into more trial, and God still came through. Think of a man like Abraham, who after waiting for decades, received his miracle, and right after had to “give it up”, but was still walking in the will of God and was truly obedient. What a God we serve. But most times, it may not always be as it seems. He always makes a way for us. Just because it seems like one chapter in the book is over does not mean the story has ended. Sometimes the chapter ends, in order to begin an even tougher chapter or it just ends. Every ending is a beginning, we just don’t know it at the time .
So in this season of my life, God is speaking to every part of me:
1. To fully rely on him and no one else.
2. To trust in his plans for my life. “Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.” – John 15:4
3. To present my problems to him first before any friends. Cut my ears off to people and pray.
4. To make him a priority in all my relationships and to recommit every relationship to him.
5. To be intentional about praying over that which is to come…my career, marriage and kids.
6. To be okay with my personal growth, and not force any relationships.
7. Lastly, to be patient and listen.
NOTE TO SELF: I’m honestly afraid of not getting it right, but I know God will help me get it right. I know what is coming is better than what has gone.
