Ecclesiastes 3 - Turn! Turn! Turn! to Everything There is a Season

There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:

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 from embracing,

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. (Eccl 3:1-8 NIV)

 

"Turn! Turn! Turn! to Everything There is a Season." Many of you probably recognize Ecclesiastes 3 from actually reading it before. Some of you may have heard parts of it a funeral or maybe on Ash Wednesday when we hear words similar to "from dust you are, to dust you shall return." Some of you may remember these words from the song Pete Seeger wrote in 1959, which was recorded by various artists. Seger basically put the words from Ecclesiastes 3 to music and added 2 things:  the words "Turn, Turn, Turn" and "a time for peace, I swear it's not too late." In 1969 the Byrds' recording of it became a hit, making Ecclesiastes 3 one of the oldest lyrics (written by Solomon) to become a hit on the pop charts.

There is a time for peace, I swear it's not to late. There is a time and season for everything. It is not to turn our hearts away from the injustice of the world and turn toward the path which God intends for us to follow so that we might truly live life. It is not to late to turn our lives around and live in His presence and in His peace.

Let there be peace on earth. Let us treat one another justly, causing no one more anxiety. If there is to be anxiety, it will come in its allotted time and season for God's purpose. We do not have to manufacture it for ourselves or others. Let us take each day as it comes before us and learn to live life as God intended us to live, enjoying the fruits of the garden, enjoying the fruits of the day, even as we labor to eat and drink, to provide for the necessities of our lives. May God grant that we should be happy and find satisfaction in our toil. May God grant us peace with Him and with one another even as we strive to live life in this world accepting every thing that comes to us in whatever time or season.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Psalm 101 - The Wicked Silenced

"Every morning I will put to silence all the wicked in the land; I will cut off every evildoer from the city of the Lord." (Psalm 101:8 NIV)

The LORD is tired of the evil that people do to one another.  He promises to put an end to the evil.  I pray that those who are unjustly persecuted will find relief in Him.   It is a sad state that so many have to endure injustices by others who simply like to do injustice, who simply like to harass and bully others, whether it is in the school systems or in a job.  It is just plain crazy that this happens.  Can you imagine going to work and being able to do your job well, because no one is harassing you.  There are a lot of people in this country and world who live under these circumstances and it kind balloons out on us.  Someone makes you miserable and since you're miserable others around you end up being miserable, as well.  Seems like it is just human nature.  But, when will it stop?  When will the greed, selfishness, the self-centeredness stop?  When will the anger and hatred stop?  When will the unjust back-stabbing stop?  I guess, the best answer to that is when God will put a stop to it.  Humankind doesn't seem capable of loving, of caring.

It just amazes me that people don't get that if people treated one another with open minds and justice, we'd all live a little better.  The sad thing is that so many in our governments as well as the public sector claim to be Christian.  Do they not know that it is the faithful, those who do not do wicked and deceitful things to our neighbors, that will live in God's presence, in His House, His Kingdom?

And... if there is to be vengeance for the ill done to you, trust that to the hands of God. He promises to cause the wicked to be silent.  You will only help wickedness to grow in this world and in your own life, by thinking that vengeance belongs to you. The LORD is just, trust in Him to defend and deliver us.  Trust your lives to His hands. 

Speak no evil of your neighbor. Do not persecute him. Rather, spend your days, singing God's praises; singing of His love and justice.

God's Peace - Pr. J