1 00:00:02,730 --> 00:00:06,730 Speaker 1: Life Audio. For more resources to help you in your 2 00:00:06,790 --> 00:00:13,530 Speaker 1: walk with Christ, please visit us at BibleStudyHeadquarters.com. You're listening 3 00:00:13,570 --> 00:00:17,310 Speaker 1: to the Chapter a Day Audio Bible. I'm John Stonge, 4 00:00:17,890 --> 00:00:22,239 Speaker 1: and today we're in Ecclesiastes chapter 3, and we'll be 5 00:00:22,280 --> 00:00:27,640 Speaker 1: reading from the New Living Translation. For everything, there is 6 00:00:27,700 --> 00:00:31,680 Speaker 1: a season, a time for every activity under heaven. A 7 00:00:31,700 --> 00:00:34,320 Speaker 1: time to be born and a time to die. A 8 00:00:34,360 --> 00:00:37,720 Speaker 1: time to plant and a time to harvest. A time 9 00:00:37,760 --> 00:00:40,480 Speaker 1: to kill and a time to heal. A time to 10 00:00:40,560 --> 00:00:43,950 Speaker 1: tear down and a time to build up. A time 11 00:00:43,990 --> 00:00:47,070 Speaker 1: to cry and a time to laugh. A time to 12 00:00:47,110 --> 00:00:50,910 Speaker 1: grieve and a time to dance. A time to scatter 13 00:00:51,010 --> 00:00:54,960 Speaker 1: stones and a time to gather stones. A time to 14 00:00:55,060 --> 00:00:58,820 Speaker 1: embrace and a time to turn away. A time to 15 00:00:58,900 --> 00:01:01,780 Speaker 1: search and a time to quit searching. A time to 16 00:01:01,860 --> 00:01:04,869 Speaker 1: keep and a time to throw away. A time to 17 00:01:04,950 --> 00:01:07,890 Speaker 1: tear and a time to mend. A time to be 18 00:01:07,970 --> 00:01:11,369 Speaker 1: quiet and a time to speak. A time to love 19 00:01:11,569 --> 00:01:14,630 Speaker 1: and a time to hate. A time for war and 20 00:01:14,670 --> 00:01:19,110 Speaker 1: a time for peace. What do people really get for 21 00:01:19,350 --> 00:01:23,020 Speaker 1: all their hard work? I've seen the burden God has 22 00:01:23,090 --> 00:01:26,959 Speaker 1: placed on us all. Yet God has made everything beautiful 23 00:01:27,060 --> 00:01:30,920 Speaker 1: for its own time. He has planted eternity in the 24 00:01:30,980 --> 00:01:34,569 Speaker 1: human heart. But even so, people cannot see the whole 25 00:01:34,670 --> 00:01:38,770 Speaker 1: scope of God's work from beginning to end. So I 26 00:01:38,810 --> 00:01:41,950 Speaker 1: concluded there is nothing better than to be happy and 27 00:01:42,010 --> 00:01:46,020 Speaker 1: enjoy ourselves as long as we can. And people should 28 00:01:46,180 --> 00:01:48,560 Speaker 1: eat and drink and enjoy the fruits of their labor, 29 00:01:48,660 --> 00:01:52,240 Speaker 1: for these are gifts from God. And I know that 30 00:01:52,280 --> 00:01:55,710 Speaker 1: whatever God does is final. Nothing can be added to 31 00:01:55,790 --> 00:01:59,610 Speaker 1: it or taken from it. God's purpose is that people 32 00:01:59,690 --> 00:02:03,710 Speaker 1: should fear him. What is happening now has happened before, 33 00:02:03,890 --> 00:02:07,010 Speaker 1: and what will happen in the future has happened before, 34 00:02:07,530 --> 00:02:11,340 Speaker 1: because God makes the same things happen over and over again. 35 00:02:12,780 --> 00:02:15,700 Speaker 1: I also noticed that under the sun there is evil 36 00:02:15,800 --> 00:02:20,140 Speaker 1: in the courtroom. Yes, even the courts of law are corrupt. 37 00:02:20,900 --> 00:02:25,419 Speaker 1: I said to myself, in due season God will judge everyone. 38 00:02:25,790 --> 00:02:29,710 Speaker 1: both good and bad, for all their deeds. I also 39 00:02:29,790 --> 00:02:33,450 Speaker 1: thought about the human condition, how God proves to people 40 00:02:33,650 --> 00:02:37,930 Speaker 1: that they are like animals. For people and animals share 41 00:02:37,970 --> 00:02:42,400 Speaker 1: the same fate. Both breathe and both must die. So 42 00:02:42,440 --> 00:02:46,560 Speaker 1: people have no real advantage over the animals. How meaningless. 43 00:02:47,260 --> 00:02:50,079 Speaker 1: Both go to the same place. They came from dust 44 00:02:50,160 --> 00:02:53,190 Speaker 1: and they return to dust. For who can prove that 45 00:02:53,230 --> 00:02:55,670 Speaker 1: the human spirit goes up and the spirit of animals 46 00:02:55,730 --> 00:02:58,990 Speaker 1: goes down into the earth? So I saw that there 47 00:02:59,050 --> 00:03:01,470 Speaker 1: is nothing better for people than to be happy in 48 00:03:01,510 --> 00:03:04,450 Speaker 1: their work. That is our lot in life, and no 49 00:03:04,530 --> 00:03:07,590 Speaker 1: one can bring us back to see what happens after 50 00:03:07,630 --> 00:03:14,299 Speaker 1: we die. Let's pray. Lord, we thank you for your word, 51 00:03:14,460 --> 00:03:16,380 Speaker 1: and we thank you for the privilege of being able 52 00:03:16,419 --> 00:03:19,730 Speaker 1: to look at it together today. We're grateful for your love, 53 00:03:19,770 --> 00:03:22,230 Speaker 1: we're grateful for your goodness, and we're grateful for the 54 00:03:22,290 --> 00:03:25,160 Speaker 1: hope that we have beyond this world through faith in 55 00:03:25,190 --> 00:03:29,120 Speaker 1: your Son, Jesus Christ. Because apart from that hope, we 56 00:03:29,160 --> 00:03:31,840 Speaker 1: would get stuck in a mindset that treated the things 57 00:03:31,880 --> 00:03:34,720 Speaker 1: of this world as if they are permanent in nature, 58 00:03:34,960 --> 00:03:39,060 Speaker 1: when in fact they are temporary. Lord, we know that 59 00:03:39,510 --> 00:03:42,570 Speaker 1: you have great and mighty purposes for your people, that 60 00:03:42,590 --> 00:03:45,390 Speaker 1: you certainly give us things to enjoy this side of heaven. 61 00:03:45,820 --> 00:03:48,360 Speaker 1: But Lord, you've also given us hope beyond the things 62 00:03:48,420 --> 00:03:51,170 Speaker 1: of this world. And we look forward to the full 63 00:03:51,250 --> 00:03:54,610 Speaker 1: revelation of all of these things as we will one 64 00:03:54,650 --> 00:03:57,890 Speaker 1: day see them and live in your presence. Lord, we 65 00:03:57,950 --> 00:04:00,560 Speaker 1: love you. We're grateful for your presence with us today. 66 00:04:00,640 --> 00:04:03,160 Speaker 1: And we commit ourselves to your care and pray this 67 00:04:03,280 --> 00:04:05,920 Speaker 1: all in Jesus' name. Amen.