I am sitting here...wishing and hoping for Spring! I don't hear any woodpeckers yet, "drilling" away to mark their personal domain for this year...and of course, to "impress the ladies". I don't hear frogs beginning to croak as they come out of their mud of hibernation, I don't see the maple trees start to bud yet, nor do I see the birds here in mass quantities... like the ring-tailed ducks in flight, purple finches, sparrows, and of course...the "Red Red Robins" in the yard looking for earthworms (that would be kind of hard to do with 6 " of snow still on the ground).
But I still hope...and I know Spring is coming!
This week's forecast is a "cold one"...yet each day I know we are closer...to new life about to take place.
In the book of Ecclesiastes, there is a famous poem that has been quoted for centuries...in books, songs, memoirs, and funerals. This famous poem is a strong reminder that...."Timing is everything...in this present life."
The word "Ecclesiastes" means: "when one gathers a group of people together"....like a seasoned teacher or a philosopher, sharing their unique views on everyday life.
King Solomon of the ancient times would certainly be a man with those virtues, and here, it is he who is the author of this well thought out and immensely powerful set of verses.
King Solomon is toward the end of his reign as the great king of Judah, and writes of things we often wander about even today:
1. We see people being cruel to others...and yet the ones who extended such cruelty...never seem to suffer for it.
2. People who work hard...never seem to receive the benefits...of doing so.
3. People who put their trust in God seem to suffer the most, and the "bad people" seem to get all the good things this life has to offer.
4. Bad and Good people die the same way, just as wise and foolish people do as well.
It's a bold move by King Solomon, even though his own life is near the end, he is not afraid to express his real thoughts before others...and before God Himself. He seems to "tally" what he has seen in his own life, and now draws some conclusions....in a respectable and honorable way before God and man, with the freedom of expression that does not give any indication Solomon is in fear "God will smack him in the head" for expressing himself.
Instead, it seems almost a type of confession with this thought in mind...."God, even though you have made me a very wise man, I still am unable answer the most basic questions of life", for You and You alone are the "Sovereign God".
Solomon addresses the physical world we live in and hardships we face, then moves on to the thoughts that are deep within our own hearts.
After all this "soul-searching" has concluded in the book of Ecclesiastes, he finishes his thoughts in chapter 12:13-14 with this: " For all wisdom comes down to this: Respect and Obey God! This is really what life is all about, and this is my final conclusion of which I share with you...now. That's it! There is a time...God brings everything out into the open, and will make His decisions on how we are in life....from the very true intents that we have formed...in our own hearts...whether we have chosen His Way of Goodness...or whether we have embraced The Way of Evil."
In Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8 is what many refer to as: "The Poem"....
A Gleaning from Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8
" Everything on this earth...has an opportune time, a purpose or a season, under Heaven.
There is a time we are born,
And then comes a time we die.
There is a time for us to plant,
And yet another time for us to harvest what we have planted.
There comes a time we are forced to kill,
And yet another time we must allow ourselves time to heal.
There are times in our lives we break down and destroy what has been built,
and yet another time we are to construct and build once more.
There are times in our lives we weep...and cry with deep emotion,
And yet other times we find ourselves laughing and dancing with joyous celebration!
There are times we lament...throwing stones wildly and aimlessly,
And still...there are times we gather our stones in uniform and unique manners.
Some times in life we wish to be left alone, refusing to be embraced,
While at other stages in life we hunger for companionship... that warm embrace.
There comes times in our lives we pursue and seek after things,
While at other times we simply grow still, and entirely give up on any pursuit.
There comes a time we are torn from another or from the things we do,
And other times we are sewn together from wounds we have incurred.
There are times we find ourselves in a position it is best to be silent,
And yet another time we need to express those things buried deep within our hearts.
There are times in our lives we offer love and compassion,
And yet other times we disdain and hate the very things in life that we see happen.
There are times in life we approach others with our "war paint" on,
And yet, there are those times in life we come in "Peace",
Finding a way to live along side...one another."
What is remarkable to me about "The Poem", is the fact much of what we do in life isn't really about God...it's about us, and the choices we make. When God's judgment does come upon us, it's not so much what we did to Him....it's what we did to each other.
But I still hope...and I know Spring is coming!
This week's forecast is a "cold one"...yet each day I know we are closer...to new life about to take place.
In the book of Ecclesiastes, there is a famous poem that has been quoted for centuries...in books, songs, memoirs, and funerals. This famous poem is a strong reminder that...."Timing is everything...in this present life."
The word "Ecclesiastes" means: "when one gathers a group of people together"....like a seasoned teacher or a philosopher, sharing their unique views on everyday life.
King Solomon of the ancient times would certainly be a man with those virtues, and here, it is he who is the author of this well thought out and immensely powerful set of verses.
King Solomon is toward the end of his reign as the great king of Judah, and writes of things we often wander about even today:
1. We see people being cruel to others...and yet the ones who extended such cruelty...never seem to suffer for it.
2. People who work hard...never seem to receive the benefits...of doing so.
3. People who put their trust in God seem to suffer the most, and the "bad people" seem to get all the good things this life has to offer.
4. Bad and Good people die the same way, just as wise and foolish people do as well.
It's a bold move by King Solomon, even though his own life is near the end, he is not afraid to express his real thoughts before others...and before God Himself. He seems to "tally" what he has seen in his own life, and now draws some conclusions....in a respectable and honorable way before God and man, with the freedom of expression that does not give any indication Solomon is in fear "God will smack him in the head" for expressing himself.
Instead, it seems almost a type of confession with this thought in mind...."God, even though you have made me a very wise man, I still am unable answer the most basic questions of life", for You and You alone are the "Sovereign God".
Solomon addresses the physical world we live in and hardships we face, then moves on to the thoughts that are deep within our own hearts.
After all this "soul-searching" has concluded in the book of Ecclesiastes, he finishes his thoughts in chapter 12:13-14 with this: " For all wisdom comes down to this: Respect and Obey God! This is really what life is all about, and this is my final conclusion of which I share with you...now. That's it! There is a time...God brings everything out into the open, and will make His decisions on how we are in life....from the very true intents that we have formed...in our own hearts...whether we have chosen His Way of Goodness...or whether we have embraced The Way of Evil."
In Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8 is what many refer to as: "The Poem"....
A Gleaning from Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8
" Everything on this earth...has an opportune time, a purpose or a season, under Heaven.
There is a time we are born,
And then comes a time we die.
There is a time for us to plant,
And yet another time for us to harvest what we have planted.
There comes a time we are forced to kill,
And yet another time we must allow ourselves time to heal.
There are times in our lives we break down and destroy what has been built,
and yet another time we are to construct and build once more.
There are times in our lives we weep...and cry with deep emotion,
And yet other times we find ourselves laughing and dancing with joyous celebration!
There are times we lament...throwing stones wildly and aimlessly,
And still...there are times we gather our stones in uniform and unique manners.
Some times in life we wish to be left alone, refusing to be embraced,
While at other stages in life we hunger for companionship... that warm embrace.
There comes times in our lives we pursue and seek after things,
While at other times we simply grow still, and entirely give up on any pursuit.
There comes a time we are torn from another or from the things we do,
And other times we are sewn together from wounds we have incurred.
There are times we find ourselves in a position it is best to be silent,
And yet another time we need to express those things buried deep within our hearts.
There are times in our lives we offer love and compassion,
And yet other times we disdain and hate the very things in life that we see happen.
There are times in life we approach others with our "war paint" on,
And yet, there are those times in life we come in "Peace",
Finding a way to live along side...one another."
What is remarkable to me about "The Poem", is the fact much of what we do in life isn't really about God...it's about us, and the choices we make. When God's judgment does come upon us, it's not so much what we did to Him....it's what we did to each other.
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