“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens:” Eccl. 3: 5-8
“a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain, a time to search and a time to give up, 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.”
Perception involves understanding. Some have special intuition and some never get it.
There is a time to scatter stones and to gather them. Casting away stones from a field that need to be prepared for planting. There is the time to gather them for peace and friendship. There is a time for gathering them to build buildings, fences, bridges and barns.
There is a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing. Certainly, a time for calling one another brothers and sisters in Christ is when embracing new believers into the family of God and demonstrating the family of God in community. Times when political enemies see it to their advantage not to squabble and quarrel, but important to come together for the importance of the country.
There is a time to search and a time to give up. Nothing upsets me more than losing things. The longer I look the more upset I get. There comes a time I just need to stop and get on with the day.
There are times to keep some things and other times to throw things away. Pack-rats as well as spend-thrifts need to be aware of the extremes of squandering as well as hoarding. You might use this as a metaphor for money. There is a time for saving and a time for spending.
There’s a time to tear and a time to mend. Tearing clothes sometimes symbolized anger, or wrath, or grief, taking a serious vow, or hearing the bad news. Mending occurs when things are o.k. again.
There are times to be silent and time to speak. I sure wish I would be so in tuned to God that I would know those times. We sometimes use silence as subtle weapon of revenge or escape from social interaction, and sometimes a virtue. We can all learn to be better listeners and wait to speak until it is the right and appropriate time.
There is also a time for love and time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace. Is there a time for hate? There is righteous hatred and there is rest for Christians seeking peace with others.
When life happens don’t be surprised, but be secure knowing that God will bring His people through and has promised to do so until this struggle is over.
Application: Focus on The One who is consistent in the perplexities of life.
Prayer: Lord I know that life is full of ups and downs. Help me to listen for Your still small voice in how I respond and hold a Godly perspective on it all.
