So as I finished up with the Gospel of John (you may have noticed I never blogged on St. John's passion feeling wholly inadequate for that portion of scripture.) I decided to use the reading plan in my Bible to give the next season of my devotions some organization. Even though it is 8.25.2014 I started with January 1's reading. The first reading was from Ecclesiastes.
A Time for Everything
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 ESV)
For wise King Solomon, all the things listed above have a time and place in the history of man, which is wrapped up in God's salvation history. I admit that I come to the text for a Calvinistic view point so as I read I felt the Holy Spirit tickle my reformed intellect and communicate this; these things listed above at shown to be equal in the text. Birth, death, planting, reaping, seeking, losing, peace and war. All have been ordained by our Holy God and are therefor all part of his Holy plan. For the display of His Glory, His Grace, His Holiness. Do I enjoy death? Nope I shed tears. War? Never, I continue to pray for peace? Loss has even been a part of my daily life now that I have a growing family, career and a shrinking pool of independence and free time. I morn the loss of those things even as they are sparked by celebrated life events
God has ordained it. The Muslims pray "En Shallah," "God wills it." Its not often we say together amen, but to my Muslim neighbor I say a hearty amen, then in the next breath, explore what the Koran says about "Isa," for if he is God then we need to also pray "Jesus wills it."
The events of your life are initiated for the display of our Holy God's glory. Cry when it is time to morn, weep at loss, dance at celebrations. Sow fields and reap harvest but do not despair. God holds you close waiting too show you in his Heavenly courts so that he will be more fully revealed to you, what Saint Paul calls "... the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus." (Ephesians 2:7 ESV)
That is the kind of God we serve!
Sola Scriptura!
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