THROUGH THE BIBLE IN THREE YEARS
Jack Benny was a good straight-faced comedian.
Once an audience responded to one of his jokes with a resounding applause.
Without cracking a smile, Jack said, "I don't deserve that. But then, I have arthritis, and I don't think I deserve that either."
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________SCRIPTURE_____________________________________________________
Ecclesiastes 3
1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
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;
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 get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
7 A time to rend, 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 of war, and a time of peace.
KJV
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_______THOUGHT_________________________________________________________
How do you respond to the things in life with which you must interact?
Two quite different words are used above: season and time. The word for season is the Hebrew zeman, used also in Daniel 2:16 to denote a specific appointment. The word for time is the Hebrew 'eth, used also in Jeremiah 33:20 to specify a certain period of time, such as day or night.
Now the word purpose is the Hebrew chephets, which generally means pleasure or an acceptable thing. With those things in mind, permit me to make a "McGee" paraphrase of verse 1:
"To every thing there is an appointed time, and general period of time for every acceptable thing under the heaven..."
Life is a Divine appointment from God.
Death also is a Divine appointment.
And AFTER death, there is ANOTHER Divine appointment (Hebrews 9:27) -- JUDGMENT.
Birth and death are specifically and Divinely appointed. Over them we have no control, even though we are affected by the feelings and emotions involved.
All the other things mentioned involve actions and/or feelings and emotions over which we have at least some control.
Now I said all THAT to say THIS:
LIFE is an appointment from God.
How we LIVE life is directly affected by how we RELATE to God!
Solomon says it is our "travail" to do so. The word for travail is the Hebrew inyan, which means BUSINESS.
It is our BUSINESS to please God in all phases of it with which we interact!
Love ya,
Bruce