TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
There is a time for everything…a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them. Ecclesiastes 3:1, 4-5a
Read: Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
Listen: Ecclesiastes 3
TODAY’S MESSAGE
The poet of today’s verses helps us see the high-and-low nature of life through 14 contrasts. Looking back, he seems very familiar with each contrast. As he writes, “a time to be born,” we can see him remembering the birth of a child and the joy it brought. Contrasted with “a time to die,” we can sense his heartache and grief over the loss of a loved one. “A time to plant” may have brought back expectations of delicious fruit to come. “A time to uproot” perhaps led to the melancholy feelings of a harvest completed and winter ahead.
We can closely identify with these contrasts too. One weekend, we’re weeping with family members over an open grave. The next, we’re celebrating with a friend and her groom as they begin their lives together. We’re encouraging a friend who’s just lost a job one day. Two days later, we’re actively involved in helping to end abuse in our community. What a cycle of lows and highs—weeping and laughing, loving and hating.
IN YOUR CHAIR TIME TODAY
In your journal, make a list of both past and present lows and highs. Make this list as extensive as you can. As you spend time alone with God, thank him for both the lows and highs. For the lows, thank him for his presence and how he brought you through. For the highs, thank him for the joy and celebration that were part of these times.
Download a printable PDF of the BTW week here.
