1 00:00:02,690 --> 00:00:13,569 Speaker 1: Life Audio Hello, thank you for listening to your daily 2 00:00:13,610 --> 00:00:17,090 Speaker 1: Bible verse, the podcast that examines one verse each day 3 00:00:17,210 --> 00:00:19,770 Speaker 1: to learn more about God and His will for us. 4 00:00:20,350 --> 00:00:23,989 Speaker 1: I'm your host, Tara Sullivan, and after this short word 5 00:00:24,030 --> 00:00:28,450 Speaker 1: from our sponsors, we'll dive into today's Bible verse, Ecclesiastes 6 00:00:28,450 --> 00:00:45,390 Speaker 1: 3 and 1. Today's Bible verse is Ecclesiastes 3 and 1. 7 00:00:45,390 --> 00:00:48,409 Speaker 1: To everything there is a season, a time for every 8 00:00:48,510 --> 00:00:52,419 Speaker 1: purpose under heaven. You know, when growing up in South Florida, 9 00:00:52,520 --> 00:00:55,520 Speaker 1: with an exception of hurricane season, I remember the weather 10 00:00:55,540 --> 00:00:58,990 Speaker 1: being lovely year round. Although I didn't see the changes 11 00:00:59,050 --> 00:01:01,750 Speaker 1: of seasons the way that my cousins who lived in 12 00:01:01,790 --> 00:01:04,590 Speaker 1: the north spoke about them, believe it or not, my 13 00:01:04,690 --> 00:01:08,710 Speaker 1: tropical place of residence was not exempt from the shifts 14 00:01:08,930 --> 00:01:12,840 Speaker 1: that announced a new season. For instance, in the winter months, 15 00:01:13,340 --> 00:01:17,120 Speaker 1: I vividly remember being greeted by low temperatures in the 16 00:01:17,160 --> 00:01:23,330 Speaker 1: mornings with a swift temperature rise just hours later. Needless 17 00:01:23,370 --> 00:01:27,150 Speaker 1: to say, as I reflect on this, it is absolutely 18 00:01:27,390 --> 00:01:29,890 Speaker 1: comical the way that we'd go to the closets and 19 00:01:29,970 --> 00:01:34,350 Speaker 1: pull out those leather jackets and big coats only to 20 00:01:34,410 --> 00:01:39,220 Speaker 1: peel them off by midday. But here's the thing. Even 21 00:01:39,340 --> 00:01:42,479 Speaker 1: if only for a brief moment, my fellow South Floridians 22 00:01:42,540 --> 00:01:46,200 Speaker 1: and I shared in the experience of what most Northerners 23 00:01:46,280 --> 00:01:50,750 Speaker 1: knew all too well. And this is it. Seasons require 24 00:01:50,850 --> 00:01:55,830 Speaker 1: adjustments and even more. Seasons and the fluctuation of temperatures 25 00:01:55,870 --> 00:02:00,950 Speaker 1: that accompany them are totally out of our control. You know, 26 00:02:00,970 --> 00:02:03,010 Speaker 1: with this talk of season, I want to ask you, 27 00:02:03,050 --> 00:02:07,300 Speaker 1: what season are you in? What season do you find 28 00:02:07,330 --> 00:02:11,580 Speaker 1: yourself longing for? You know, if we had the power 29 00:02:11,620 --> 00:02:16,080 Speaker 1: to determine our own seasons, I suspect that we would. 30 00:02:16,910 --> 00:02:20,010 Speaker 1: The thought of seasons or anything for that matter being 31 00:02:20,230 --> 00:02:23,389 Speaker 1: out of our control can bring a level of uneasiness 32 00:02:23,790 --> 00:02:28,520 Speaker 1: and perhaps even resistance. Although this may be the case, 33 00:02:28,700 --> 00:02:35,419 Speaker 1: in Ecclesiastes, the narrator, Kohelet, which means teacher, highlights that seasons, 34 00:02:35,740 --> 00:02:41,230 Speaker 1: though out of human control, are ordained by God. This 35 00:02:41,330 --> 00:02:44,870 Speaker 1: is important to note throughout the book as the teacher 36 00:02:45,010 --> 00:02:48,710 Speaker 1: searches for the meaning of life. The talk of time 37 00:02:49,470 --> 00:02:55,250 Speaker 1: literally finds itself in the exploration, amongst other topics such 38 00:02:55,330 --> 00:02:59,220 Speaker 1: as pleasure, wealth, and work. All of these and more, 39 00:02:59,360 --> 00:03:04,920 Speaker 1: apart from God, the teacher counts as meaningless. With the 40 00:03:04,980 --> 00:03:09,780 Speaker 1: book of Ecclesiastes falling within the wisdom genre and traditionally 41 00:03:09,910 --> 00:03:13,930 Speaker 1: attributed to Solomon, it's not ironic at all that the 42 00:03:14,169 --> 00:03:18,280 Speaker 1: author says, found it beneficial to include a lesson on seasons, 43 00:03:19,000 --> 00:03:22,000 Speaker 1: and more importantly, to point to the one who is 44 00:03:22,180 --> 00:03:27,040 Speaker 1: sovereign over each one. And so, yes, we are informed 45 00:03:27,360 --> 00:03:31,679 Speaker 1: to everything there is a season, a time for every 46 00:03:31,760 --> 00:03:35,580 Speaker 1: purpose under heaven. The litany of times outlined from the 47 00:03:35,640 --> 00:03:40,600 Speaker 1: verses that follow our focus passage, listing life experiencing ranging 48 00:03:40,710 --> 00:03:44,050 Speaker 1: from one end of the spectrum to the next, further 49 00:03:44,110 --> 00:03:49,010 Speaker 1: reinforces that God has a purpose for such times and 50 00:03:49,430 --> 00:03:55,350 Speaker 1: every single time in between. As you reflect, though, upon 51 00:03:55,410 --> 00:03:59,070 Speaker 1: where you are right now, how does knowing that God 52 00:03:59,130 --> 00:04:02,690 Speaker 1: has a purpose for it land with you? Do you 53 00:04:02,830 --> 00:04:08,210 Speaker 1: feel a sense of peace? Does this thought arouse anger 54 00:04:08,770 --> 00:04:12,470 Speaker 1: based upon the season that you're in? Or perhaps it 55 00:04:12,570 --> 00:04:17,089 Speaker 1: evokes anger. Gratitude. Do any of those resonate with you? 56 00:04:17,990 --> 00:04:22,520 Speaker 1: If I'm honest, my acceptance level of each God-ordained season 57 00:04:22,760 --> 00:04:27,620 Speaker 1: is not always equal. Moving from a lively summer filled 58 00:04:27,660 --> 00:04:33,419 Speaker 1: with play, activity, downtime, vacations, and all of those things, 59 00:04:34,160 --> 00:04:38,279 Speaker 1: right into fall when purposeful detachment from the rhythm of 60 00:04:38,400 --> 00:04:43,650 Speaker 1: a summer season has passed. Oh, Although it is necessary, 61 00:04:43,670 --> 00:04:47,190 Speaker 1: I'll be honest, it can prove to be challenging. You know, 62 00:04:47,230 --> 00:04:50,590 Speaker 1: when desiring to hold on to the exciting and familiar 63 00:04:50,650 --> 00:04:55,950 Speaker 1: times while hoping to avoid the others, this passage counsels 64 00:04:56,630 --> 00:05:00,740 Speaker 1: that God has purpose for them all. And what does 65 00:05:00,779 --> 00:05:05,980 Speaker 1: that mean for us now? Well, as believers, acknowledging that 66 00:05:06,080 --> 00:05:09,200 Speaker 1: God is in control, we are invited to offer Him 67 00:05:09,320 --> 00:05:13,010 Speaker 1: our trust in whatever season we are planted. Trusting His 68 00:05:13,130 --> 00:05:18,960 Speaker 1: timeline when seasons of waiting linger. Trusting His sovereignty when 69 00:05:19,000 --> 00:05:22,099 Speaker 1: the present moment doesn't align with where we want to be. 70 00:05:22,120 --> 00:05:26,280 Speaker 1: Oh yes, and also trusting Him to fully take hold 71 00:05:26,339 --> 00:05:30,120 Speaker 1: of the season when the God moment does align with 72 00:05:30,160 --> 00:05:34,420 Speaker 1: the time that we've longed for. Our God, who is 73 00:05:34,620 --> 00:05:39,010 Speaker 1: full of love, who is full of compassion, power, mercy, 74 00:05:39,210 --> 00:05:45,390 Speaker 1: and grace, is faithful. He's faithful in all seasons, acknowledging 75 00:05:45,430 --> 00:05:49,060 Speaker 1: that our times are in His hands. We too can 76 00:05:49,130 --> 00:05:53,120 Speaker 1: put our hands in His. We can accept His timing 77 00:05:53,150 --> 00:05:57,159 Speaker 1: for our lives and engage in the season that we're in. 78 00:05:58,020 --> 00:06:02,120 Speaker 1: Now that's a piece of wisdom Ecclesiastes 3.01 provides for 79 00:06:02,300 --> 00:06:06,260 Speaker 1: us as we walk with God from one season to 80 00:06:06,300 --> 00:06:10,570 Speaker 1: the next, from one time into the next. from our 81 00:06:10,650 --> 00:06:14,909 Speaker 1: very now moment to wherever it is that he would lead. 82 00:06:15,770 --> 00:06:20,510 Speaker 1: Will you join me in prayer? Most gracious and sovereign God, 83 00:06:20,910 --> 00:06:23,100 Speaker 1: thank you so much for the reminder that you are 84 00:06:23,260 --> 00:06:27,339 Speaker 1: sovereign over every season. Not one season of our lives 85 00:06:27,920 --> 00:06:32,800 Speaker 1: are insignificant to you or overlooked by you. I pray, God, 86 00:06:32,880 --> 00:06:36,390 Speaker 1: that in whatever season you plant us, in whatever season 87 00:06:36,450 --> 00:06:39,710 Speaker 1: we find ourselves to be in right now, I pray 88 00:06:39,770 --> 00:06:43,180 Speaker 1: that our trust in you will bloom. Thank you for 89 00:06:43,240 --> 00:06:47,080 Speaker 1: your wisdom. Thank you for your word. Help us to 90 00:06:47,160 --> 00:06:51,060 Speaker 1: surrender knowing that our times are in your hands. And 91 00:06:51,080 --> 00:06:54,440 Speaker 1: it's in the name of Jesus that I pray these things. Amen.