Devotions

Most of us live our lives with some form of a plan. We create schedules, set goals, and think about how we want our lives to go. But we often forget that we cannot control everything. There are events in life that are well beyond our control. Our text is from Ecclesiastes and reminds us that there is a time for everything, and that many events in life are appointed by God.

Ecclesiastes 3 says: 1 For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: 2 a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; 3 a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; 4 a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; 5 a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; 6 a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; 7 a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; 8 a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace. 9 What gain has the worker from his toil? 10 I have seen the business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. 12 I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; 13 also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God's gift to man. 14 I perceived that whatever God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it. God has done it, so that people fear before him. 15 That which is, already has been; that which is to be, already has been; and God seeks what has been driven away. 16 Moreover, I saw under the sun that in the place of justice, even there was wickedness, and in the place of righteousness, even there was wickedness. 17 I said in my heart, God will judge the righteous and the wicked, for there is a time for every matter and for every work. 18 I said in my heart with regard to the children of man that God is testing them that they may see that they themselves are but beasts. 19 For what happens to the children of man and what happens to the beasts is the same; as one dies, so dies the other. They all have the same breath, and man has no advantage over the beasts, for all is vanity. 20 All go to one place. All are from the dust, and to dust all return. 21 Who knows whether the spirit of man goes upward and the spirit of the beast goes down into the earth? 22 So I saw that there is nothing better than that a man should rejoice in his work, for that is his lot. Who can bring him to see what will be after him?

Ecclesiastes is one of the wisdom books of the Old Testament, and it provides reflections on the meaning and purpose of life. It was written by Solomon toward the end of his life, after he had experienced great wealth, wisdom, and power. Solomon became disillusioned with life after seeing the futility of pursuing worldly pleasures and accomplishments. This book is his reflection of the challenges and uncertainties of life, emphasizing that many events are beyond human control.

The first 8 verses of Ecclesiastes 3 are very poetic and describe the various seasons and times in life. There is a common misconception with this passage that it is simply saying there is a time for everything to happen, but a deeper look into the original Hebrew language reveals more nuance. The Hebrew word for time is 'ēt (ae-t) which can also be translated to an appointed moment, or an event ordered by God and received by us. These events happen regardless of what we intended or prepared for. Given that, this passage isn't about literal times for things to happen, but rather that there are events in life that God has appointed for us to experience. We've all experienced the event of being born, and will all inevitably experience the event of death. We've also experienced events that bring us joy, and events that bring us sorrow. One thing that this passage notes is that, while there will be plenty of good in our lives, there will also be difficult times that we must go through, and we won't always understand the purpose of them. But Ecclesiastes 3:11 says "He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end." In this verse, just like the word for time can also be translated to event, the word for beautiful can be translated as yapheh (yaw-feh) which can mean appointed or fitting. So a more accurate translation of this verse could be "He has made everything fitting in its event." or "fitting in its appointed moment." God has placed all the events of our lives in a fitting way, even if we don't understand why. Yet this fitting order does not mean that the world is fair or that life makes sense to us.

The last section of this passage (verses 16-22) takes a more somber tone, reflecting on the injustice and wickedness present in the world, and the inevitability of death for all living beings. Verse 16 highlights the presence of injustice in the world, talking about how wickedness can be found even in places where justice and righteousness should prevail. This wickedness isn't just in our systems, but also exists within our own hearts. Solomon goes on to write in verse 17 that God will ultimately judge both the righteous and the wicked. This concept of divine judgment is a recurring theme throughout the Bible, but one notable place it is mentioned is in Hebrews 9:27, which states "It is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment," emphasizing that death is one of those appointed events in life, and that judgment follows. Ecclesiastes 3:20 says "All go to one place. All are from the dust, and to dust all return." We all came from dust and will all return to dust. Our physical bodies are temporary, and our time on earth is limited. Ecclesiastes tells us that we all return to one place, and Scripture teaches us that this return is before Jesus Christ. Romans 5:6 says "For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly." Jesus' death on the cross was not something that happened by chance, but an appointed event by God. We are the weak. We are the ungodly. Yet Christ died for us. The same Jesus we will stand before in judgement is the One who died for our sins.

From the very beginning of this passage, Solomon reminds us that our lives are filled with events that God has appointed for us to experience; events beyond our control. But God has placed eternity in our hearts, even though we cannot fully comprehend His plan. We feel both the weight of death and the longing for eternity. We are dust, and so we come before God not with answers, but with repentance, prayer, and waiting.

This devotion is written on Psalm 34. There’s some important things to know about what was happening to David when this was written. When he wrote this, he was on the run from Saul, had just fled Gath, and was hiding in the Cave of Adullam (Ah-Duh-Lum). (1 Samuel 21:10-22:1)

Psalm 34 says: 1 I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth. 2 My soul makes its boast in the Lord; let the humble hear and be glad. 3 Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together! 4 I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears. 5 Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed. 6 This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles. 7 The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them. 8 Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him! 9 Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints, for those who fear him have no lack! 10 The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing. 11 Come, O children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord. 12 What man is there who desires life and loves many days, that he may see good? 13 Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit. 14 Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it. 15 The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous and his ears toward their cry. 16 The face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth. 17 When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. 18 The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. 19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all. 20 He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken. 21 Affliction will slay the wicked, and those who hate the righteous will be condemned. 22 The Lord redeems the life of his servants; none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.

Despite being on the run, in fear of losing his life, David praises God at all times. He’s not writing from a place of comfort, he’s in hiding unsure if the next day will be his last. Yet he starts by saying “I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth.” Verse 4 then says “I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears.”

David speaks from experience, testifying how God has been with him in his hardest moments. He continues this theme in Verse 6 when he says “This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles.” Then comes verse 8 which says “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!” God isn’t distant. He comes to us through His Word Sacraments, giving His promises in ways we can grasp. David is giving us his testimony and inviting us to experience God’s goodness in our own fears and troubles.

David goes on to say in verses 17-19 “When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.” In scripture, ‘The righteous’ doesn’t mean perfect people, it means people who God forgives and makes right through Jesus. So David here is talking about people who know they’re weak, people who are hurting. He’s talking about us. And he’s saying that God meets us right there in the middle of our trouble. That God comes to us through His Word and the gifts He gives. Psalm 34 ultimately finds its fulfillment in Jesus, the Righteous One whose bones were unbroken on the cross. (John 19:36) Because He suffered and rose for us, we can be certain that when we are hurting, God is near, present with us through Christ and His gifts.

This Psalm is especially applicable in today’s world. This world is extremely broken. Everyday it seems that some tragedy or war or unrest takes place. And on top of that, everyone is dealing with stuff in their own lives too. We all carry things that burden us, overwhelm us, and make us unsure of what is to come. The world tells us that we should tough it out and deal with things on our own. But David shows us that this is far from the case. Psalm 34 gives us a reminder that we have a God who is close. He isn’t distant, He hears our cries and is always with us. The same God who was with David in that cave is with us today in whatever we’re walking through. And the cross and empty tomb remind us that God has already come near in the clearest way possible. Jesus suffered, died, and rose so that we never have to face trouble alone. Life won’t always improve; troubles will remain. But Jesus has overcome the one trouble that cannot be avoided: death. And because He lives, we know that even when we die, He will bring us into the life that never ends.

So whatever hardships you may be dealing with, whether it be hard times with friends, mental struggles, or just getting through the last couple of weeks of the semester, remember that these verses aren’t claiming life will be easy. Quite the opposite actually. But they do promise that in every hardship, God will be there. So even in the midst of your troubles, rest on His Word and His Promises. He is with you and He will not forsake you.