Eclesiastes 3

Eclesiastes 3

Wiersbe - You don’t have to be a philosopher or a scientist to know that “times and seasons” are a regular part of life, no matter where you live. Were it not for the dependability of God-ordained “natural laws,” both science and daily life would be chaotic, if not impossible. Not only are there times and seasons in this world, but there is also an overruling providence in our lives. From before our birth to the moment of our death, God is accomplishing His divine purposes, even though we don’t always understand what He is doing. In fourteen statements, Solomon affirmed that God is at work in our individual lives, seeking to accomplish His will. All of these events come from God, and they are good in their time. (Bible Exposition Commentary) Stay in Balance A Fresh Word for Today: 365 Insights for Daily Living - Page 24 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven. (Ecclesiastes 3:1) When you lose your sense of balance, you fall in one direction or another. I know, for it’s happened to me. How about you? Martha worked for Jesus, but Mary spent time with Him. There’s a place in your life for both. Don’t let this little daily devotional be all the time you have for God. Make it your entry point into His Word and your door into His presence. Water the ground with His Word. Till the soil of your heart with repentance and submission to Him or the ground will become hard and barren, and before you know it nothing will grow; nothing’s new; there’s no fruit! Jesus said, “Abide in Me and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine; neither can you, unless you abide in Me” (John 15:4). Workaholic, you may be admired for your “get up and go,” but is your soul barren? Are you thirsty and dry? What does it all mean anyway if you gain the whole world but fail to please God? Christian worker, if you give out more than you take in, you’ll get “out of balance,” and before you know it, you’ll be in trouble. You know what to do! Go back to the source. The medicine didn’t fail—you just stopped taking it. The fulfillment you think is waiting for you when you reach some lofty goal can only be found in His presence. And it just might be sitting around your dinner table in the faces of your family and loved ones—if you’d only take time to discover how wonderful they are and build a relationship with them, too. THE WORD FOR YOU TODAY IS, “LEARN BALANCE!” The Time Crunch A Fresh Word for Today: 365 Insights for Daily Living - Page 14 There is an appointed time for everything. (Ecclesiastes 3:1, NASB) Your life will go nowhere until you learn to value time, protect time, and use time wisely. Time management is not hyperventilating with calendars and stopwatches. It’s learning how precious one hour is. Until you learn that, you’ll waste days, months, and years. Stop agonizing over the time you don’t have and organize the time you do have. If you don’t, your days will endure without purpose, and your life will end without accomplishment. When you die, what will others remember you for—the good times you had or the difference you made? You, and only you, have the power to answer that question. First, you always have enough time to do all that God wants you to do. If you don’t, you’re involved in things He never gave you to do. Get rid of them! (See John 17:4.) Second, learn to “come apart” before you “fall apart.” Jesus did often. He said, “My yoke is easy” (Matthew 11:30). What kills us is the stuff we allow others to put on us. If your schedule is out of control today, get alone with God to ask Him to show you any problem areas. ASK HIM TO TELL YOU WHAT HE THINKS YOU SHOULD BE DOING. NOW THERE’S A PLAN THAT WILL WORK FOR YOU. Tick, Tick, Tick . . . Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. — Psalm 90:12 Today's Scripture : Ecclesiastes 3:1-11 Do you have a clock or watch available with a secondhand on it? Stop and follow that hand as it ticks away 1 minute. Those seconds, of course, are the way we measure time, and time is the very essence of our lives. By the time you reach the age of 75, the clocks and watches of this world will have ticked away a total of nearly 2.5 billion seconds. Bernard Berenson, an internationally famous art critic, had a zest for life. Even when he was in ill health, he cherished every moment. Shortly before he died at age 94, he said to a friend, “I would willingly stand at street corners, hat in hand, asking passersby to drop their unused minutes into it.” Oh, that we would learn to appreciate the value of time! We certainly don’t want to be so time-conscious that we become driven workaholics, neglecting our families, never relaxing with our friends, too busy to smell the roses or admire a sunset. Yet Paul urged us to redeem the time (Ephesians 5:15-16), and Moses prayed, “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom” (Psalm 90:12). We do not know how long we have Till time for us is past, So let us live as if this day Is going to be our last. —DJD To spend time wisely, invest it in eternity. Seasons Of Motherhood To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven. — Ecclesiastes 3:1 Today's Scripture : Luke 2:1-7,25-35 As a pastor, I’ve ministered to many women during their seasons of motherhood. I have called on mothers in the hospital and rejoiced with them for their precious baby who had come into the world. I’ve counseled with anxious mothers and tried to assure them that God was watching over their rebellious teenager. I’ve stood with mothers at the bedside of an injured or ill child and felt their pain. And I’ve cried with them in their grief when their son or daughter died. Mary, the mother of Jesus, also experienced these times of joy and sorrow. What joy when the Christ-child was born! (Luke 2:7). What excitement when the shepherds and later the wise men came to worship Him! (vv.8-20; Matthew 2:1-12). What uneasiness when Simeon prophesied that a sword would pierce her soul! (Luke 2:35). And what heart-wrenching grief as Mary watched her Son dying on the cross! (John 19:25-30). But her seasons of motherhood didn’t end with that terrible scene. She rejoiced that He rose from the grave. And because she trusted Him as her Savior, she is now in heaven with Him. Thank You, Lord, for motherhood With all its vale of tears, For happy moments never dimmed Through all the many years. —Strecker Motherhood is a sacred partnership with God. A Time for Everything TODAY'S SCRIPTURE Ecclesiastes 3:1–14 While flying recently, I watched a mother and her children a few rows ahead of me. While the toddler played contentedly, the mother gazed into the eyes of her newborn, smiling at him and stroking his cheek. He stared back with a wide-eyed wonderment. I enjoyed the moment with a touch of wistfulness, thinking of my own children at that age and the season that has passed me by. I reflected, however, about King Solomon’s words in the book of Ecclesiastes about “every activity under the heavens” (v. 1). He addresses through a series of opposites how there is a “time for everything” (v. 1): “a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot” (v. 2). Perhaps King Solomon in these verses despairs at what he sees as a meaningless cycle of life. But he also acknowledges the role of God in each season, that our work is a “gift of God” (v. 13) and that “everything God does will endure forever” (v. 14). We may remember times in our lives with longing, like me thinking of my children as babies. We know, however, that the Lord promises to be with us in every season of our life (Isa. 41:10). We can count on His presence and find that our purpose is in walking with Him. God gives us the seasons of our lives. Today's Insights The writer of Ecclesiastes lists fourteen pairs of “times” we may find ourselves in throughout our lives. But following this list is a question, “What do workers gain from their toil?” (3:9). The answer is quite encouraging. From our toil we gain satisfaction, and that is a gift from God (v. 13). Thank God for the season of life you are now in. Thank Him for the satisfaction of work. J.R. Hudberg How important is time? Ask death-beds. “Doctor,” said a dying man, “the whole of my estate for half-an-hour,” but no, the whole of his estate could not purchase half a moment. Our Measured Life- Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. . --Psalm 90:12 The root meaning of the word translated number in "teach us to number our days" (Ps. 90:12) is "to weigh" or "to measure." We are to place each day in the balance and make it tip the scales in a way that will bring glory to God and blessing to the lives of others. When the great artist Raphael died at the early age of 37, friends and relatives carried his marvelous but unfinished painting The Transfiguration in the funeral procession. His family felt that because of the limited time he was allotted to use his creative genius, the painting was an appropriate symbol of his unfulfilled earthly aspirations. That half-completed picture has another meaning--a message that should impress itself on all of us: Life is fleeting and death may come unexpectedly. We should treasure each hour as a gift of great value and use it to the best advantage. If we realize the value of our days, we will try to spend them profitably. To have no regrets at life's end and have much reward in heaven, we must make the most of every opportunity (Eph. 5:15-16). In the words of the psalmist let us pray, "Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom" (Ps. 90:12). --H G Bosch F. Ferguson - We speak of time as past, present, and future; but what a mystery it is! The present moment is all of time that actually exists. All past time ends in the present moment. All future time begins in the same point. To use the experience of the past so as to shape the future aright is to redeem the time. This gives to every moment of time a tremendous importance. A day is full of many hours just waiting for your using; and there are many ways to spend them, so be careful in your choosing. A poet once wrote, Time that is past you can never recall, Of time to come, you are not sure at all; Only the present is now in your power, Therefore, redeem and improve every hour. —Unknown There's always enough time to do God's will. The clock of life is wound but once, And no man has the power To say just when the hands will stop; At late, or early hour. Now is the only time we own to do His precious will, Do not wait until tomorrow; For the clock may then be still. -Anon. Instead of counting the days, make your days count. When as a child, I laughed and wept, Time crept; When as a youth, I dreamed and talked, Time walked; When I became a full-grown man, Time ran; When older still I daily grew, Time flew; Soon I shall find in traveling on, Time gone. Seasons There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens. Ecclesiastes 3:1 Today's Scripture & Insight : Ecclesiastes 3:1–14 I recently came across a helpful word: wintering. Just as winter is a time of slowing down in much of the natural world, author Katherine May uses this word to describe our need to rest and recuperate during life’s “cold” seasons. I found the analogy helpful after losing my father to cancer, which sapped me of energy for months. Resentful of this forced slowing down, I fought against my winter, praying summer’s life would return. But I had much to learn. Ecclesiastes famously says there’s “a season for every activity under the heavens”—a time to plant and to harvest, to weep and to laugh, to mourn and to dance (3:1–4). I had read these words for years but only started to understand them in my wintering season. For though we have little control over them, each season is finite and will pass when its work is done. And while we can’t always fathom what it is, God is doing something significant in us through them (v. 11). My time of mourning wasn’t over. When it was, dancing would return. Just as plants and animals don’t fight winter, I needed to rest and let it do its renewing work. When have you wanted a season to end before its time? What do you think God wants to do in you this season? Father God, thank You for using every season for Your glory and my good. For further study, read When God Says No: Broken Dreams to New Beginnings. Thankful For Seasons To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven. — Ecclesiastes 3:1 Today's Scripture : Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 I grew up on the West Coast of the US. The possibility of snow for Christmas was so remote that my mom would point to fog in the early morning as evidence that the holidays were just around the corner. My wife and I now live in the Midwest. There’s a lot of snow when the yuletide season comes around. And I couldn’t be happier with four distinct seasons. But I don’t find that same response from many who have grown up in the Midwest. I find it amusing that they don’t share my appreciation for the wonderful cycles of change God has built into nature for our good. In Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, Solomon acknowledged the cycles of life. He observed a time to sow and to reap, to weep and to laugh, to mourn and to dance, to gain and to lose, to keep silent and to speak, to love and to hate. Just as God determines the weather, He also controls the cycles in our lives: “To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven” (Eccl. 3:1). Do we resist those seasons and complain about the “snowy” conditions on the horizon? Or do we trust God and thank Him for whatever He has planned for us? Just as the winter turns to spring, Our lives have changing seasons too; So when a gloomy forecast comes, Remember—God has plans for you. —Sper Rather than praying for a change in circumstances, pray for a change of heart. Times And Seasons To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven. — Ecclesiastes 3:1 Today's Scripture : Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 The Rev. Gardner Taylor has been called “the dean of American preaching.” Born in Louisiana in 1918, the grandson of slaves, he overcame the segregation of his youth to become the pastor of a large New York congregation and a leader in the struggle for racial equality. For 6 decades he traveled the world as a much sought-after preacher. But at age 89, Rev. Taylor’s health gave way and he could no longer accept speaking engagements. He told Rachel Zoll of the Associated Press: “I at first felt rather crestfallen.” But then he spoke of his belief that “there are seasons and eras, and we have to see what they are as best as we can, and to find what is positive in them.” In an effort to face the challenges of life, we often turn to Solomon’s words: “To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven” (Eccl. 3:1). But we readily admit that we would rather laugh than weep, dance than mourn, and gain than lose (vv.4,6). Yet we know that as we embrace the lessons and opportunities of every season that comes to us, we find that “God is our refuge and strength” (Ps. 46:1). Just as the winter turns to spring, Our lives have changing seasons too; So when a gloomy forecast comes, Remember—God has plans for you. —Sper Whatever the season of life, attitude makes all the difference. Expected—Sooner Or Later The living know that they will die. — Ecclesiastes 9:5 Today's Scripture : Ecclesiastes 3:1-22 I heard of a popular senator who was swept out of office after only one term. His defeat came as a complete surprise to opponents and supporters alike. In his concession speech, the losing candidate wryly commented that recent events reminded him of an epitaph he once saw on an old tombstone. It said: I expected this—but not so soon. Death is certain for all! The Bible says, “It is appointed for men to die once” (Heb. 9:27). For some of us that day is closer than we think. The sensible person faces up to the fact of death and makes provision for this final episode of his earthly life. There’s only one way to prepare for eternity—trusting Christ as Savior. Those who come to God through Him will enter heaven when they have drawn their last breath. But for unbelievers, that fateful moment will seal their never-ending doom. A Season For Everything To everything there is a season. — Ecclesiastes 3:1 Today's Scripture : Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 In the 1960s, the folk-rock band The Byrds popularized the song “Turn! Turn! Turn!” It climbed to the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and gained worldwide popularity. People seemed captivated by the lyrics. Interestingly, though, except for the last line, those lyrics are from the Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes. “To everything there is a season,” proclaims the writer of Ecclesiastes, “a time for every purpose under heaven” (3:1). He then lists some of the seasons in human experience: birth and death, gain and loss, tears and laughter, mourning and dancing. Just as the seasons in nature change, so do the seasons in our lives. Our circumstances never stay the same for long. Sometimes we welcome change in our lives. But often it is difficult, especially when it involves sorrow and loss. Yet even then we can be thankful that God does not change. “I am the Lord,” He said through the prophet Malachi, “I do not change” (Mal. 3:6). A mighty fortress is our God, A bulwark never failing; Our helper He amid the flood Of mortal ills prevailing. —Luther God’s unchanging nature is our security during seasons of change. Time: Handle With Care Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. —Colossians 4:5 If you had to buy time, would there be any difference in the way you would spend it? Would you use the minutes, hours, and days of your life more wisely? Of course, we can’t put a price tag on the minutes and hours we possess. They are given to us freely. But that doesn’t excuse us from using them carefully and wisely. The giver of time is God Himself, and that places a far greater value on our time than any monetary figure could suggest. We must therefore take advantage of the opportunities time provides to serve the Lord and to do His will. This doesn’t mean that we have to be working every single moment. It’s necessary to take a break every so often, to stop and smell the roses along the way, or to enjoy the beauty of a sunset. We use our time wisely when we combine the appropriate “stops” with the proper “steps.” According to Solomon, there is a time for all of God’s purposes to be accomplished (Ecclesiastes 3:1). I’m so grateful that the Lord doesn’t sell time. He provides it as a gift of His grace. So let’s spend our days “redeeming the time,” using the opportunities to live for God (Colossians 4:5). We do not know how long we have Till time for us is past, So let us live as if this day Is going to be our last. —D. De Haan To spend time wisely, invest it in eternity. Good and Bad Laughter To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven: . . . a time to weep, and a time to laugh. —Ecclesiastes 3:1,4 Today's Scripture: Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 Doctors and psychologists tell us that laughter is good for us. This is undoubtedly true, because the Bible says that “a merry heart does good, like medicine” (Pr 17:22). But the Scriptures distinguish between good and bad laughter. The author of Ecclesiastes declared that the laughter of people who have no place for God in their lives has no more value than the noise of crackling thorns in a fire (Eccl. 7:6). God disapproves of any humor that belittles people or makes light of immorality. Sin is never a laughing matter. Joe E. Brown was a top-notch movie and Broadway comedian of the World War II era. When entertaining American troops in the South Pacific, he was asked by a soldier to tell some “dirty jokes.” He responded, “Son, a comedian like me lives for applause and laughter. . . . But if telling a dirty story is the price I must pay for your laughter, then I’m not interested. I’ve never done an act that I couldn’t perform before my mother, and I never will.” The soldiers rocked the jungle with their cheers. Laughter is like music That lingers in the heart; And when its melody is heard, The ills of life depart. —Anon. Wholesome laughter has great face value. Seasons Of Life To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven. — Ecclesiastes 3:1 Today's Scripture : Luke 2:6-7,25-35 When I was a pastor, I served many women who were moms. I called on them in the hospital and rejoiced with them for their precious babies who had come into the world. I counseled with anxious mothers and tried to assure them that God was watching over their rebellious teenagers. I stood with mothers at the bedside of injured or ill children and felt their pain. And I cried with them in their grief when their son or daughter died. Mary, the mother of Jesus, also experienced times of joy and sorrow. What joy she must have felt when the Christ-child was born! (Luke 2:7). What excitement when the shepherds and later the wise men came to worship Him (vv.8-20; Matt. 2:1-12). What uneasiness when Simeon prophesied that a sword would pierce her soul (Luke 2:35). And what heart-wrenching grief as Mary watched her Son dying on the cross! (John 19:25-30). But her seasons of being a mother didn’t end with that terrible scene. She rejoiced that He rose from the grave. Thank You, Lord, for motherhood With all its vale of tears, For happy moments never dimmed Through all the many years. —Strecker Being a mom is a sacred partnership with God. "In His Time" “There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven.” — Ecclesiastes 3:1 Have you ever felt like life was out of rhythm? Prayers seem delayed. Dreams seem postponed. Trials seem prolonged. Solomon reminds us: nothing is random under heaven. There is a season for every cry, every joy, every change, and every unknown. God is never hurried and never late. He does not measure time by our watches but by His perfect wisdom and eternal purpose. In waiting seasons, He deepens faith. In harvest seasons, He multiplies joy. In silent seasons, He refines character. In painful seasons, He sows seeds of future beauty. You may not understand the chapter you are in—but you can trust the Author who writes every page. “He has made everything beautiful in its time.” — Ecclesiastes 3:11 Today, breathe deep and rest in Him and His sovereignty. Your times are in His hands, so you are in good hands (much better than the Allstate commercial)!. The Clock I Cannot See “There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven.” – Ecclesiastes 3:1 We are often frustrated by timing: A job delayed. A relationship ended. A dream deferred. A prayer unanswered (for now). But Solomon reminds us: our lives are not governed by chaos, luck, or random drift. They are shaped by the hand of a sovereign God, who appoints a time for everything — even if that time feels hidden or hard. There is a season for weeping and for laughing, for building and for breaking, for sowing and for reaping. The problem is not that God forgets. The problem is that we forget He sees the entire tapestry while we see only threads. Trusting God’s timing means believing: His delays are not denials. His silence is not absence. His seasons have reasons. "My times are in Your hand..." -- Psalm 31:15 🌿 Today, can you rest in the knowledge that there is an appointed time for your struggle, your growth, your breakthrough—and that God holds the clock? ILLUSTRATION - The Farmer's Fields - A farmer knows he cannot reap in spring or plant in winter. He trusts the seasons. Similarly, God has appointed seasons in our lives — times to sow, times to reap, times to wait. ILLUSTRATION - The Symphony Conductor - An orchestra doesn’t play randomly — each note is timed to the conductor’s baton. Life, too, is not random noise. God is conducting every event with precision, even if we only hear a few bars at a time. Our Lives Are Like a Tapestry Top: Man's Perspective Bottom: God's Perspective ILLUSTRATION - The Weaving Loom - A weaver sits at a loom, working intricate threads into a tapestry. The tapestry looks chaotic when viewed from the back — knots, threads, tangles. But the front reveals a beautiful, ordered, intentional design. Our lives, seen from God's perspective, are intricately woven masterpieces according to the Master Weaver's pattern in Romans 8:28+ (cf Ge 50:20)! From our earthly view, life can look messy and senseless. From God's perspective, He is weaving a perfect, beautiful story. Listen to the words from Perfect Wisdom of Our God “Each strand of sorrow has a place Within this tapestry of grace So in the trial I choose to say, ‘Your perfect will in your perfect way.’” ILLUSTRATION Mark Hitchcock tells the following story…Our God Reigns - Ray Stedman, noted pastor and author, once traveled to England to speak at a Bible conference. The church sanctuary was filled with people eager to hear this well-known teacher. The service began with singing and praise to the Lord. One of the songs was the chorus "Our God Reigns." Stedman, seated on the platform next to the pastor, glanced down at the song sheet and began to smile. Then he started to laugh. The words on the song sheet had been mistyped. The congregation was belting out "Our God Resigns." That's one of those funny-but-painful stories, isn't it? Sometimes we look at the world around us and conclude that God must have resigned and is no longer seated on His throne, ruling the nations. We need to remind ourselves that God is indeed enthroned in heaven, reigning over all. And we must never forget that God is still on His throne, ruling over the nations of the world. Ecclesiastes 3:2 A time to give birth and a time to die; A time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted. KJV Ecclesiastes 3:2 A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; BGT Ecclesiastes 3:2 καιρὸς τοῦ τεκεῖν καὶ καιρὸς τοῦ ἀποθανεῖν καιρὸς τοῦ φυτεῦσαι καὶ καιρὸς τοῦ ἐκτῖλαι πεφυτευμένον LXE Ecclesiastes 3:2 A time of birth, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what has been planted; NET Ecclesiastes 3:2 A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to uproot what was planted; CSB Ecclesiastes 3:2 a time to give birth and a time to die; a time to plant and a time to uproot; ESV Ecclesiastes 3:2 a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; NIV Ecclesiastes 3:2 a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, NLT Ecclesiastes 3:2 A time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant and a time to harvest. YLT Ecclesiastes 3:2 A time to bring forth, And a time to die. A time to plant, And a time to eradicate the planted. NJB Ecclesiastes 3:2 A time for giving birth, a time for dying; a time for planting, a time for uprooting what has been planted. NRS Ecclesiastes 3:2 a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; NAB Ecclesiastes 3:2 A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to uproot the plant. GWN Ecclesiastes 3:2 a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to pull out what was planted, BBE Ecclesiastes 3:2 A time for birth and a time for death; a time for planting and a time for uprooting; RSV Ecclesiastes 3:2 a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; NKJ Ecclesiastes 3:2 A time to be born, And a time to die; A time to plant, And a time to pluck what is planted; ASV Ecclesiastes 3:2 a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; time to give birth Ge 17:21 21:1,2 1Sa 2:5 1Ki 13:2 2Ki 4:16 Ps 113:9 Isa 54:1 Lu 1:13,20,36 Joh 16:21 Ac 7:17,20 Ga 4:4 a time to die: Ge 47:29 Nu 20:24-28 27:12-14 De 3:23-26 34:5 Job 7:1 14:5,14 Isa 38:1,5 Joh 7:30 Heb 9:27 a time to plant: Ps 52:5 Isa 5:2-5 Jer 1:10 18:7-10 45:4 Mt 13:28,29,41 15:13 Related Passages: Job 2:10 But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips. Psalm 139:16+ "in Your book were all written The days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was not one of them." Ecclesiastes 7:17 Do not be excessively wicked and do not be a fool. Why should you die before your time? 1 Samuel 2:6+ “The LORD kills and makes alive; He brings down to Sheol and raises up. THE BEGINNING AND THE END OF LIFE In Ecc 3:2-8 Solomon presents a succession of 14 contrasting pairs of events and circumstances, moving back and forth between desirable and undesirable aspects of life, covering all the time of our lives between our birth and our death and everything in between. In effect Solomon is saying that every one of these events is part of God's plan and under God's control. Ray