God is God

Ecclesiastes

Somewhere in time, approximately 935 B.C., Solomon wrote the book of Ecclesiastes.  Solomon could ask God for anything, yet he asked for wisdom.  I wonder if God told me I could ask for anything, if that is what I would ask for.  With me, I think it depends on when he asks.  I think my perceived needs are dependent on my circumstances.  Honestly, if I was more concerned about eternal things, I would be asking for the ability to show love or grace, or even have wisdom. 

I was looking for something in the Bible about joy and laughter.  These emotions are necessary to life, just as much as any other emotion.  That is when I came across a passage in Ecclesiastes.  For some reason it really resonated with me this week, so I thought I would share it with all my readers.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (NIV)

There is a time for everything, 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 down 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

There is always a flip side to everything.  There is a time for laughter, but also a time for weeping.  There is a time to be silent and a time to speak.  I find, in my own life, that when I am on the upside.  You know, a time to heal, a time to laugh, a time to love and a time to mend.  That is when I really feel that God loves me.  He must love me when things are going well.

On the flip side, the ideas of a time to weep, a time to give up, a time to tear down, are events that cause the opposite reaction.  I wonder what I’m doing wrong to cause God to remove his blessings from me.   Part of my reaction is due to the fact that I am a spoiled American.  We sometimes expect everything to be sunshine and roses.

God is God regardless of the circumstances in our lives.  He is always holy and always righteous and He is always in control.  Trust knows that God loves us and cares for use when things are good and when things are bad.