Last week in Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, we saw that God has a time for everything in our lives, and everything has its appropriate season. In this week’s passage of Ecclesiastes 3:9-15, the Teacher gives his perspective on this idea.
In verses 9-11, the Teacher is pondering the ultimate purpose of things. While we can understand that God has an ultimate plan, we as humans want to understand it! What is the point of everything? That’s the struggle the Teacher is having, and we have this same struggle today, too.
To try and discover that ultimate meaning, we see in these verses that we first need to take care of what we’re supposed to do each day. That is the “burden God has laid on the human race” (verse 10), and when we do what we’re supposed to do, then we see that everything works out beautifully.
The other interesting thing to point out here is in verse 11: “He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.” People are the only part of God’s creation that even questions why we are here and that we must have been made for a purpose larger than just fulfilling the burdens of daily life. Animals don’t worry about that. Plants don’t think about such things. The sun and other heavenly bodies just do what they were meant to do. But we humans were created in God’s image, so we have that capability to think about larger issues, and to ponder how all of the little pieces of our lives fit into the Master’s plan for this world. We know that we have a greater purpose, even if we are unable to discern what that purpose is.
With all the pessimistic talk we’ve seen from the Teacher so far, it is good to see in verses 12-13 that he does have some optimism. There is much about life that is enjoyable. We can be happy and find fulfillment and satisfaction in our daily labors. But in all of those good things, we as followers of Jesus Christ need to be careful that we don’t miss what God’s will is for us by getting caught up in the pleasures of earthly things.
Verse 14 says, “I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that people will fear him.” We know that whatever God does will stand the test of time. His good works are permanent, and they have a lasting impact on all of eternity, from before time began until after this world has ended. We need to humbly follow Him, knowing that while we seek to grasp the larger picture of our lives, God indeed knows the whole big picture for all of humanity! But if a person does not believe in God and His good purposes, then their life will seem meaningless, and they won’t find their true purpose.
Perhaps we can find our purpose by looking at what God has already done, as the Teacher suggests in verse 15. History does repeat itself, which we can see both from the Biblical record of history and outside of it. God keeps showing us the lessons that His people should have learned throughout history in the hope that we will finally understand and live out our true purpose in life: to live our lives to give Him glory.
Every day we should be asking God what he has for us today. We can make our own plans, but we need to be ready for God's plans to intercept our plans. We are called to walk with God and to listen to Him in everything, even in the daily responsibilities that we have. We know that everything and everyone has an appointed purpose and time, but we may not know what that is until God reveals it to us.
We are all given a choice: will I let God be my focus today? Will I seek Him first? We don't always see the profit of each day, but God does. It may just seem like another day of ordinary routine, but maybe God has something exciting or extraordinary planned for you this day. Perhaps today is the day that we will grasp another small piece of the big picture that God has and our role in His grand plan.
We have the capacity to seek our purpose in this life, and we should ask God to reveal it to us. Perhaps He will give you a big piece of it, or maybe it’ll just be a tiny glimpse, but either way, if we’re not watching for it, we’ll miss it. When we live our lives in light of God’s timing, everything will be beautiful as a part of His perfect plan.
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