“He hath made every thing beautiful in his time…” Ecclesiastes 3:11
There is a time, a place, and a season for all things, Ecclesiastes 3 tells us. The scope of one’s life and days travels down many pathways. Although some paths may be littered with the less-than-beautiful side of life, it is on this walk where our living is carried out.
How appropriate in times of loss to find tears? And for times of gladness are we met with rejoicing? It is all a part of this wonderful life we live.
Every part may not bring fond memories or the fulfillment of future dreams, but living life beautifully says I trust God even when I do not understand all the paths upon which my feet stand. Whether the heart is in sadness and sorrow, or lifted in jubilation and joy – wherever and whatever part of life I am living, Lord, help me to know that this is just a little piece of the bigger picture You have in store for me and it is all beautiful in its time.
The varied seasons of life will come and go, but God’s sovereign plan and hand are steady and faithful through them all. He is the one who takes the not-so-beautiful and the beautiful and makes all of them work together for good (Romans 8:28).
“In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: God also hath set the one over against the other, to the end that man should find nothing after him.” Ecclesiastes 7:14
Let’s talk about bad days because we all have them. Bad days are like clouds that block out the sun. When they move in, they overshadow the beauty around them. If they hang around long enough, the dreariness accompanying them can settle in your surroundings, obscuring your view, and warping your perspective.
People tend to shift their perspectives based on experience. Experience can be subjective due to knowledge and/or feelings. In all, it is easy for one to think or feel a certain way regardless of what the actual fact says.
Here’s what is true for the Christian, if the Bible says something, then that’s a fact. With that as our springboard, let’s unpack Ecclesiastes 7:14 to gain a better understanding of whatever kind of day, the season of life, or challenges you may be facing.
“In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider.” Know this, we will have both good days and bad days. Yet, we are always surprised when our good days are interrupted by the bad. Part of that comes with the shock and awe of the adverse moment. And it’s not as if we are totally divorcing ourselves from all the feelings we feel when facing difficulties, but we are also to realize that this is a part of life. Peter writes, “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you” (1 Peter 4:12). Some days, hard stuff will happen, if for no other reason than we are living. We are alive. In that, our experiences in the ups and downs of life may vary from day to day.
Ecclesiastes tells how to handle those variances: in the good days, when everything is fine and prosperous, going your way – rejoice. Be “joyful!” Be thankful for those moments. Live with an appreciative heart in gratitude for them.
And in the bad, when things don’t look so rosy – those days you want to hide from the world, he says to “consider.” There are fewer things in life that will slow you down and give you a long pause to reflect, like adversity. It provides a place to mull over some things and to deeply think about this life and the many facets it brings.
The word consider is used in a specific way in this verse that I will deal with in more depth when we get to the next section. But to know for a fact that both experiences of good days and bad days are just a part of our human living, can be almost liberating. In that, it allows us to prepare our hearts and our responses in how we want to act for either/or during those times, even if we sometimes do it imperfectly.
“God also hath set the one over against the other.” God is sovereign over any and all days. One of the things we like to say is that a situation may have taken us by surprise, but it sure didn’t take God by surprise. And that’s so true! I can write a book on the verses of Him ordering the days, and times, and seasons – oh wait, they already did that. It’s called the Bible, and in it, we see from the first page to the last, God’s sovereign hand moving. In the middle, there are a lot of lives, with a lot of stories – some good, and some not so good. But our God, who Ecclesiastes 7:14 assures us regarding these differences of days, “hath set the one over against the other.”
Our God, who is the Creator of the world, is the Creator of our days. And even when the days don’t look right or feel right to us, we have this promise: “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).
Did you see what I saw in that verse? Even if it doesn’t appear good to us, God is able to make something good out of that experience. It doesn’t say that everything that happens to us is good, but whatever happens, God can use it for good.
“To the end that man should find nothing after him.” You never know what’s ahead, so strive to thrive in all seasons and days you experience. Life is a gift, and while we may not like some of the things and days we face, and we may wish they were all full of joy and celebrating, we can remain in hope in our God who has never failed.
The children of Israel experienced many days of a time of prolonged captivity under the rule of their enemy when they thought it would never get better. Because of what they were experiencing, some struggled with the picture of their future God provided through the prophet Jeremiah when he said, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end” (Jeremiah 29:11).
My friends, when the days are good, we claim to see the hand of the Lord moving in all kinds of ways in our lives. But when approached by the bad, we fail to realize He’s still there, and no matter what we are facing, good or bad, our reliance, dependence, and hope are securely anchored in God alone and in what He can do and has done for us – not in ourselves, our present circumstances, or experiences.
And while we may struggle to see the end, our trust is to always be in the God who knows the end.
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You are the Rock that we lean upon. Better than the glory of the rising sun.
You are the great I AM THAT I AM. Better than Moses, the prophets, and Abraham.
You are my praise, my comfort, my shield. Better than any source this world reveals.
You are the hope in my soul, do I trust. Better than man or plan, designed or discussed.
It is You to which none can compare, for You are better than anyone, anywhere.
A lot of things we can appreciate but You, O God, are better in every way.
“Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time forth and for evermore. From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the Lord‘s name is to be praised. The Lord is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens.” Psalm 113:2-4
“Forasmuch as there is none like unto thee, O Lord; thou art great, and thy name is great in might. Who would not fear thee, O King of nations? for to thee doth it appertain: forasmuch as among all the wise men of the nations, and in all their kingdoms, there is none like unto thee.” Jeremiah 10:6-7
“I am the Lord, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me: That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the Lord, and there is none else. I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the Lord do all these things.” Isaiah 45:5-7
The world calls out for our trust. Man pleads for us to put confidence in him. Even our own five senses beckon us to lean upon what we can feel, see, and touch.
But God is supremely better than them all. He is the Utmost beyond our utmost, and none can top, come near, or replace the joy and treasure found in the greatness of our God who is just better than.
Please Note: Ads below or referenced on this site are prefabricated and mass-produced (of which I currently have no control over) and DO NOT necessarily represent the views and/or beliefs of this site and its admin.
Please Note: Ads below or referenced on this site are prefabricated and mass-produced (of which I currently have no control over) and DO NOT necessarily represent the views and/or beliefs of this site and its admin.
“Therefore my people shall know my name: therefore they shall know in that day that I am he that doth speak: behold, it is I,” Isaiah 52:6, KJV
The taunting of the enemy was too much to bear at times. Captivity kept them bound and ridicule and defeat kept them shackled in despair. God’s people have suffered under bondage due to their own spiritual neglect, but God in His grace and mercy, showed them a compassionate heart and sought for their redemption. He was going to bring them back. All hope was not lost, He will redeem.
Reading this, I know there are times when we seemed locked in my life. If things are going okay and we are dwelling in peace, well then, that’s okay, lock me in! But when we feel defeated by burdens and enemies, it’s hard to believe deliverance is on the horizon.
In Isaiah 52:6 God displayed His personal investment in His people’s redemption. When He brought them out there was going to be no doubt in their mind that He is the one that fought for them, loved then and redeemed them.
Doubt is the enemy of our faith. We often try to walk by faith and not by sight but it is the very things we see that make us question. How is this going to turn out? Will I ever see the light of day? Doubt is a killer of dreams. Doubt already erases the possibility of something better because it doesn’t see it. Doubt is a robber of paradise and a hinderer of what can be.
But God is looking to change the focus of His people from their circumstances to their God. Four times He refers to Himself in this verse as the One who orchestrates and fulfills all for them. “My people . . . My name . . . I am He . . . It is I,” and He wants His people to know it.
My people: “Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture,” (Ps. 100:3, KJV). A shepherd’s job is to care for, lead and guide, and supply for the sheep. Isn’t it wonderful that despite their disobedience God was not ready to relinquish ownership of His own? Israel may have gotten themselves into captivity but they were still His people and because of that God was still willing to take a leading role in their care and in ours. Being identified as God’s people is a special privilege but it only comes to those who are under a covenant with God. Galatians 3:29 says, “And if ye be Christ’s, then ye are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise,” (KJV). Abraham was under a covenant with God (Gen. 15:18-21). Those that come under Christ now receive the same benefits as His “people,” (see also Rom. 8:17; 1 Cor. 3:23). You are God’s people, therefore, He wants you to know that He wants to take care of you and love you as His own!
My name: “The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into, and is safe,” (Pr. 18:10, KJV). There’s something about applying God’s name to deliverance. When someone puts their name on something it signifies ownership. People also sign their names to documents to state that they will perform a deed stated therein. His people shall “know my name.” His name will be glorified and remembered for their deliverance. He signed it and He declared it!
I am He that doth speak: God is the author of all. In the beginning “I am He” spoke things into existence and it obeyed. That which He called forth manifested itself into reality. It went from a holy thought to a physical appearance because “I am He” spoke. When God speaks people better pay attention. Especially when He is speaking of your deliverance, as He was with His people. “For I am the LORD: I will speak, and the word that I speak shall come to pass …,” (Ezekiel 12:25, KJV). His word is infallible and “I am He’s” word will be fulfilled in your life and you better know it!
It is I: This takes me back to the time when God spoke to Moses from the burning bush and commanded Moses to go to Egypt. Moses asked, “What shall I say unto them?” (Ex. 3:13, KJV). God’s response, “I AM THAT I AM . . . I AM hath sent me unto you,” (Ex. 3:14, KJV). When one is waiting on deliverance they have to realize it’s all about God! His mark of sovereignty is over His whole plan. God referred to Himself as the total of all they needed to know!
Difficult times are never pleasant but when we know who it is that is on our side, we have nothing to fear in waiting for our deliverance. “If God be for us, who can be against us?” (Rom. 8:31, KJV). Isaiah 52:6 claims He is there with you; He’s the one fighting for you; He’s the one planning your deliverance; He’s the one speaking it over your life; He’s the one that owns all of this and will redeem His people out of it. It’s all about Him! In the midst of it all, He’s got you covered! It’s all about Him, in the midst of it all, He will be glorified! It’s all about Him!
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