What is a Wise Man………Lesson #6

After Solomon has written of his frustrations with wisdom, pleasures, wealth, “wine, women and song”…he is just as unhappy with his life as if he had none of these things.  It was all like “chasing after the wind”.

Something in each of us that says there has to be more than what we see and experience here and now.  So much of what we do is meaningless in the long run.  Solomon felt this also.  But he is going to change his tactic somewhat.

In Ecclesiastes 3 he declares that God’s plan for us actually encompasses everything that we do or happens to us. He doesn’t say that mowing lawns, mopping dirty floors and working the late shift…all have meaning. But he is reassuring us in knowing that “there is a right time for everything.”

To everything there is a season,
A time for every purpose under heaven:

What’s all this?  Then we aren’t in control of anything! Sure we make bad choices but then again I’m not as free as I thought.  Seems as though I have very little control over the circumstances that cause me to weep or laugh.

   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 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 times for war and a time for peace.

There is a key which unlocks these verses…here it is!

Solomon is telling us that God is in charge.  The one who fears God and honors Him and keeps his commandments can be secure in His gracious love.  Why? Because He loves us and He is the very one who created us.  What’s the old saying about lemons?  When life becomes like a sour lemon then make lemonade.  That’s when God comes  in to help.

When I pray for others………most of those prayers are prayers for healing and strength for physical problems.  But these are included in God’s plans for us.  How can we be happy despite sorrows…despite failing health…despite death?

 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,

God’s plan includes times for sorrow and times for joy; times for mourning and for celebration.

We only want the good times…..please, Lord….. spare me the sorrow and the mourning.  But God gives us both.

In my next blog I will continue to explore more of Solomon and the wisdom of his writing. In the meantime……remember this.

God makes everything work together with all life’s experiences for good.
(Romans 8:28-29)