Seasons Pass

As we travel through this world we see and experience many things. Much of life revolves in cycles. A child is born, grows through the different stages of life, usually produces offspring, grows old and dies. In the same way-- trees, grain, insects, most everything in nature-- has a similar cycle. The sun appears to rise in the east spends its entire day in a journey across the heavens, and sets in the evening. The earth turns: day and night and the seasons pass.

Ecclesiastes 3:1&2 For everything there is a season, and a time for very purpose under 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;

We live on a small farm. The four hundred acres that my husband and his brother rent from their dad is not considered large when compared to farms of today. I laugh as I call it a small farm--in my Grandpa's day it would have been a 'comfortable' maybe even large farm.

Ecclesiastes 3:9&10 What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboreth?
10) I have seen the travail which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised therewith.

Solomon, the wise man, left very little--except in reputation--and his writings in the Bible. His search for life 'under the sun', or in other words 'with out God', show the futility of that kind of life. He asks the question what profit is there in....

Many have asked that question, but few understand the answer.

"I hate this school work!"

"So, you want to be ignorant? You want to not be able to read and write? You want to be at the mercy of people who take advantage of you...because they can and you don't know how to work math? You want to continually repeat history because you don't know the mistakes made in the past?"I don't know how many times I've heard children kick at the school work they have to do. I often ask them these questions.

Ecclesiastes 3:11 He hath made everything beautiful in its time: also he hath set eternity in their heart, yet so that man cannot find out the work that God hath done from the beginning even to the end.

Sometimes they grow to appreciate the things they learned, some never do--completely. But God does make everything beautiful in its time, and everything about His creation that I have learned, makes me wonder at His wisdom.

The great scientist, Sir Isaac Newton, is quoted as saying, "I do not know what I may appear to the world, but to myself I seem to have been only like a boy playing on the sea-shore, and diverting myself in now and then finding a smoother pebble or a prettier shell than ordinary, whilst the great ocean of truth lay all undiscovered before me."

And how many pebbles there have been, but the great ocean is still undiscovered!

Ecclesiastes 3:12&13 I know that there is nothing better for them, than to rejoice, and to do good so long as they live. 13) And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy good in all his labor, is the gift of God.

Mark 7:21-23 For from within, out of the heart of men, evil thoughts proceed, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, 22) covetings, wickednesses, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, railing, pride, foolishness: 23) all these evil things proceed from within, and defile the man.

What causes us to be discontent? It's the lusts of this world, the striving after the wind. Solomon says there is nothing better than to rejoice and to do good. Nothing better than to eat, and drink and enjoy your labor--this is a gift, and it's from God.

What he is saying is when we go to bed in the evening, to be able to pray and say: "Thank you God for this day. For the work you have blessed me with, for my spouse, our children, and thy wonderful bounty, thank you and I praise you, Oh God." This is a true blessing.

1Timothy 6:6-8 But godliness with contentment is great gain: 7) for we brought nothing into the world, for neither can we carry anything out; 8) but having food and covering we shall be therewith content.

There are trade offs here as there are everywhere else. Our price of putting a crop in the ground has gone up. Seed, feed, fertilizer-- and we don't use 'horse or mule' power any more...we actually have to buy gasoline to run our farm machinery-- so our costs have sky rocketed. Yet, we have been blessed by the privilege of living where we live. To see, unhindered by much of the modern gobble-de-gook of our society, the seasons pass.

Ecclesiastes 3:14, 16,17 I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor anything taken from it; and God hath done it, that men should fear before him.

16) And moreover I saw under the sun, in the place of justice, that wickedness was there; and in the place of righteousness, that wickedness was there.

17) I said in my heart, God will judge the righteous and the wicked; for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.

Hallelujah! What a Saviour!