A Right Time For Everything

God has a plan for all people. Although we may face many problems that seem to contradict God's plan, these should not be barriers to believing in God, but rather opportunities to discover that, without God, life's problems have no lasting solutions! Timing is important. All experiences are appropriate at certain times. The secret to peace with God is to discover, accept, and appreciate God's perfect timing. The danger is to doubt or resent God's timing. This can lead to despair, rebellion, or moving ahead without His advice.

Our ability to find satisfaction in our work depends to a large extent upon our attitude. We will become dissatisfied if we lose the sense of purpose God intended for our work. We can enjoy our work if we remember that God has given us work to do. "I have seen the travail, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it" (Eccl 3:10). We must realize that the fruit of our labor is a gift  from God. "And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God" (Eccl 3:13). See your work as a way to serve God.

God has "set eternity in the hearts of men." We can never be completely satisfied with earthly pleasures and pursuits. Because we are created in God's image, (1) we have a spiritual thirst, (2) we have eternal value, and (3) nothing but the eternal God can truly satisfy us. He has built in us a restless yearning for the kind of perfect world that can only be found in his perfect rule. He has given us a glimpse of the perfection of his creation. But it is only a glimpse; we cannot see into the future or comprehend everything. So we must trust God now and do his work on earth.

When we have the proper view of God, we discover that real pleasure is found in enjoying whatever we have as gifts from God, not in what we accumulate. What is the purpose of life? It is that we should revere the all-powerful God. To revere God means to respect and stand in awe of him because of who he is. Purpose in life starts with whom we know, not what we know or how good we are. It is impossible to fulfill your God-given purpose unless you revere God and give him first place in your life.

Our bodies can't live forever in their present state. In that sense, humans and animals are alike. But Solomon acknowledged that God has given people the hope of eternity (see the note on Eccl 3:11), and that we will undergo judgment in the next life (Eccl 3:17; 12:7,14) - making us different from animals. Because man has eternity set in his heart, he has a unique purpose in God's overall plan. Yet we cannot discover God's purpose for our lives by our own efforts - only through building a relationship with him and seeking his guidance. Are you now living as God wants? Do you see life as a gift from him?