God seeks to have purpose

God makes everything beautiful or appropriate in its time. Solomon’s words at Ecclesiastes 3:11 help us ponder our own approaches to the events of our lives. It’s easy to get caught up in our desires and plans without thinking about anyone or anything else. Plus, it’s easy to believe that we are the ones responsible for what is happening. It is true that there is a lot we can do to affect our lives and the people around us. There is no denying this. If we are kind to others, we will likely improve their and our experience. However, we also know that there are times when we can do anything well and still face trials or trauma that are not the result of our actions or decisions.

Knowing that God is in control is a comfort, but more than that, it is that God has a purpose. Solomon continues, “He also put eternity in man’s hearts so that he would not find out what God did from beginning to end.” When we unpack these words, they make perfect sense and are wonderfully convenient. Here Solomon refers to what Paul says in Romans 1:19: “What one can know about God is clear to them because God has shown them.” Paul speaks of the fact that all people know God, but this truth oppress in injustice. In the same way, David writes in Psalm 19: “The heavens proclaim the glory of God, and the heavens above proclaim His work.”

For Solomon, the fact that God is in control, that man has eternity in his heart, and that there are many things we cannot fully understand, leads to a clear conclusion: “I realized that it was nothing for them Better to give than to be happy and do good as long as they live; also that everyone eats and drinks and rejoices in all their toil – that is God’s gift to man. “- Ecclesiastes 3: 12-13.

If the first principle of the text is that man knows God, it is here that God knows man. We are made in God’s image and are called to reflect him. He’s not a lazy god, he’s one who works. Work is not a bad word. I don’t mean our lives should revolve around a job we may not love. I mean, we are not called to be lazy or inactive. As I often tell my students, there are 168 hours a week. Those who make good use of these hours are successful. Solomon’s point of view is different. He thinks that God has given us work. When we’re not working, we struggle to find meaning in life. Unsurprisingly, the increase in recreational and mindless activities is accompanied by an increase in depression, anxiety, and even suicide.

Solomon calls us to see our lives in the light of what God has done and what God is doing. “I realized that whatever God does is forever; nothing can be added to it, nor can anything be taken from it. God did it to make people fear him ”(Ecclesiastes 3:14) God is God and we are not. When things happen in our lives, for better or for worse, we face a choice. When God has made us in His own image and has given us the work to be done and done everything in due time, then we are called to be thankful in prosperity, patient in adversity and trust under all circumstances.

“What is has already been; what ought to be has already been; and God seeks what has been driven out. ”(Ecclesiastes 3:15) Here Solomon returns to a familiar theme, there is nothing new under the sun. But there is a twist here. After thinking about everything that happened and seeing that he is out of control, there is hope in his words.

If there is a plan and a master planner, then perhaps the facts of the story are hopeful, not daunting. Perhaps the story is nearing a glorious ending instead of just booming or fizzling out. Perhaps it is God who seeks his people and not the other way around. Solomon’s words remind us of how man was driven from the presence of God in Genesis 3. They also remind us of Jesus’ words that the Father seeks such people to worship him (John 4:24).

Pastor Everett Henes, the pastor of Hillsdale Orthodox Presbyterian Church, can be reached at [email protected].