GLORY OF GOD

Verse Text: 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.

So familiar and relatable, that it swept the nation a few decades ago in the form of a song, “Turn, Turn, Turn” by the Byrds. What a great, accessible combination of melody, rhythm, arrangement and instrumentation! If you’ve heard the song, then you know that it’s an adaptation of this same passage above; which essentially states that God has willed a time for everything. But the writer of the passage (and the Byrds) don’t clearly address the overarching point of it at all. Even the writer of the passage, Qoheleth, keeps saying, “Oh vanity of vanities!”. I guess, in laymans terms, that would translate to “what is the point of it all?! God’s done everything! Nothing new will ever happen!” So, then, what is the point?

Well, the point is Jesus Christ, of course. In Him, everything is accomplished. In Him, all seasons and times and reasons bow down. Jesus has clearly shown us the way to the Father, through the cross; and in doing so, has shown the point of human existence: quite simply, to glorify God.

So in all we do, in all seasons, in all times, the point is to live for God’s glory. God loves us so much that He allows us to decide what (and Who) we’re going to live for. Are we going to live for ourselves, our vanity, our material possessions or our own selfish agendas? Or are we going to make our lives count for something that lasts longer than this life? No, we might not enjoy the instant gratification that our human nature longs for when we live for God’s glory and not our own. We may not always enjoy seeing the fruit for each and every good deed we do, or right decision we make.

So, the point of this passage…the point of the song I mentioned really adds up to one thing – let us emulate Jesus…let’s you and I draw on the strength Jesus provides us to live for the glory of God and not our own. Let our every motivation, everything we put our hand to – be for the glory of God.