This month’s Poetry & Prose post, contains a portion of a poem found in the Bible. Specifically, the Book of Ecclesiastes. Ecclesiastes is one of five books of poetry in the Old
Testament. (Job, Psalms, Proverbs, and Song of Solomon are the other four.)
In Ecclesiastes 3:1-16, the passage of this poetic book included in this post, King Solomon, the author, had a lot to say about time. Here are King Solomon’s words:
“There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven:
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,
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.
What does the worker gain from his toil? I have seen the burden God has laid on men. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live. That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil—this is the gift of God.
I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that men will revere him.
Whatever is has already been,
and what will be has been before;
and God will call the past to account.
And I saw something else under the sun:
In the place of judgment—wickedness was there,
in the place of justice—wickedness was there.”
Reading this passage should cause us to pause and consider such questions as:
* Is your calendar so full you can barely find the dates on it?
* What is taking up all of your time?
* When you look at your calendar it’s filled with all kinds of good things – but are they the best?
If God e-mailed you with a big project that He wanted you to do, would you have time to do it? If God picked you to do the project, you can be sure He thinks His project is the best opportunity of your life. Proverbs 16:4 says, “The Lord has a plan for everything.” God wants us to follow His plan. God believes His plan for you is the most important thing you could do and that you are the best person to do that job.
God expects us to help with the work that needs to be done. He expects that “Everything you say and everything you do should be done for Jesus your Lord. And in all you do, give thanks to God the Father through Jesus” (Colossians 3:17). God also expects to learn the difference between a good use of our time and talents and the best use of our time and talents. What is the best use of our time and talents? Doing God’s work.
I hope you are busy doing God’s work.