Seasons

If you remember 1965 you may know the hit song, “Turn! Turn! Turn!”, by the Byrds. But, did you know the words were written in 900BC by the Teacher (Eccles 3:1-8)?

“To everything (turn, turn, turn)

There is a season (turn, turn, turn)

And a time for every purpose, under Heaven…”

That is what I love about God’s word – it is timeless! In fact, I still have the Leaders’ notes from the 1976-77 CSSM Beach Mission with talks for the teenagers by the Teacher, “Eccles”! I remember the impact the series had among the young people to whom we ministered. It was a real joy to see several teenagers commit their lives to Jesus that summer holiday”.

The passage in Ecclesiastes 3 speaks of “seasons”, that is seasons of life. These seasons apply to all mankind, not just in the first world. Our COVID-affected world has shaken our appreciation of many of the things we take for granted.

Work, school, relationships, holidays and travel have all been affected by the pandemic. We are beginning to understand in a new way what it means to “be born and to die” (v 2), to “cry and laugh, grieve and dance” (v 4), to “embrace (only elbows, please!) and turn away” (vs 5), to “keep and throw away” (v 6) and to “keep quiet or speak” (v 7).

We can also take great hope through these times. The Teacher realised, “God has made everything beautiful…” (3:11; cf. Gen 1). God is not taken by surprise with the pandemic. As Arthur Stace (for more, go to: https://www.eternitynews.com.au/australia/its-mr-eternity-day/) reminded us long ago, God has “planted eternity in the human heart” (v 11). The Teacher reminds us, we die once and don’t come back (v 22).

I wonder, have you taken the opportunity in this season to share the reality of eternity and the eternal hope you have in Christ with someone near you who may not be as sure about the future as they once were?

As we have seen, the removal of many of the things people count on as security, we are seeing folk becoming more open to spiritual things.

Let us pray for opportunities to share the hope within us (1 Peter 3:15).

Bob