Time!  It’s our most precious asset.  We don’t know how much time we have, but for most of us, it’s not enough.  

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We might want wealth, or a different job, or health, or relationships.  But most people want more time – more time in the day, more time in a week, and more time in a life.  Do you know that over an average lifespan, a person sleeps for about 28 years, works for about 15 years, and spends about 13 years relaxing? And 40 days brushing their teeth!

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We have many productive and unproductive ways to spend our time. Today’s focus verses are Ecclesiastes 3:1-4, but reading verses 1-8 really shows what the author (probably King Solomon) notes about the times of our lives.  He notes that there are times for everything under the sun – and often there’s a balance – a time to mourn and a time for joy; a time to be born and a time to die, a time to speak and a time for silence…  

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Our current sermon series, “The Life You Want,” focuses on Isaiah 61. Verses 1-3 of Isaiah 61 talk about how Jesus will comfort those who mourn. In Matthew 11:28, He invites those who are weary and burdened to come to Him, and He will give them rest. And we know that in Heaven, He will take away every tear, and there will be no death or mourning or crying or pain (Rev. 21:4). But we also know that He rejoices with those who rejoice. He is with us, present with us, at all times – both the sad and the glad.  

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The author of Ecclesiastes notes that regardless of the times that we find ourselves in, human effort is meaningless and futile, but fearing God and keeping His commandments is our whole duty (Eccl. 12:13).

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Maybe you’re mourning, maybe you’re joyful.  Maybe you’re celebrating  a recent birth, or you’re reeling from a recent death.  Maybe you’ve harvested a reward, or maybe you’ve lost something you invested in. Maybe you’re in great health, or maybe you’re sick.  Maybe your burden is light, or maybe you’re overwhelmed.

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God is present in all of these times – the good and the bad, the full and the empty, the hopeful and the hopeless. He’s present when His glory is readily apparent, but also when His presence is not so obvious.

So, what are we called to do? The author of Ecclesiastes says to fear God and obey Him. In doing so, we will draw near to him.  Whether we draw near to Him to praise and thank Him in times when we see His blessing, or whether we draw near to Him in our times of need, the rule is the same – the season we’re in should draw us closer to God. And the beauty of drawing near to God is that He will draw near to us (James 4:8).  

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Take David as an example. Maybe you’re like David in Psalm 63, calling out to God because you are in a dry and weary land where there is no water. Or maybe you’re like David in Psalm 30, when his mourning has been changed to joy. Or maybe you just have reasons to be joyful and thankful, like David in Psalm 100.  Regardless of his time, David almost always drew near to God.

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Christians are also called to share in the joyful seasons, and the sorrowful ones. Romans 12:15 says to rejoice with those who rejoice, but to mourn with those who mourn. We can share in the burdens and the triumphs, and draw near to each other.

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What season are you in?  Does it draw you closer to God? Does it draw you closer to others?