In God’s time, all creation will be gloriously healed and completed. God’s time spreads over eternity, unfathomable to human beings and even at times to creation itself. And yet, hints of God’s perfect timing are visible as the earth revolves and summer changes to fall, then to winter, and then to the new life that spring brings from the heart of the earth itself. We, caught up in the seconds and minutes of our lives, are stressed and anxious, and we harm ourselves and the earth in our anxiety over the passing of time and the need to hoard and to hold on to things as they are, or have been, or through our own might, to halt the passage of time. Living in trust and in hope that God’s time will bring the raising up of things cast down, the old will being made new, and all of creation being brought to perfection, frees us to live in harmoniously in right relationship with God, with one another and with creation itself.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 is 14 pairs of contrasting activities as examples of how life is comprised of various seasons
In this book Solomon is not necessarily putting value or judgement on the list of human activities. He is simply describing life as it is. He notices that the natural rhythm of life includes birth and death, killing and healing, tearing down and building, weeping and laughing, mourning and dancing, accepting and letting go, loving and hating, silence and speaking and so forth. What he seems to be saying is that such things are the normal lot of human beings, whether they are righteous or unrighteous. There seems to be a kind of balance–giving and taking, gaining and losing. This is part of his reasoning that, in the big picture, human activity, apart from God is “meaningless, meaningless.”
In this list, we see many contrasts in the basic rhythms of life. We all have times of happiness, times of sorrow, times of toil and perseverance, and times of rest. The truth that underlies all of these statements is that God is in control: He’s the author of life, He directs the seasons, He establishes kingdoms and destroys powers, and everything that occurs happens in His time. Through every event and season of life you can enjoy peace because God is in control. We need to rely on His wisdom, His timing, and His goodness
If we know God and if we make a decision to fear him and obey him, then the meaningless things mentioned earlier acquire meaning. Wisdom, knowledge and even pleasure become meaningful.
Several key points
First, the timing of our activities is important. Killing someone (Ecclesiastes 3:8) is generally considered evil and a crime, but that may change during a time of war, when defending one’s country can be considered a noble act. Dancing (verse 4) may be appropriate during a time of celebration, but it would not be appropriate for a funeral. Both our actions and the timing of our actions are important to God.
Second, these seasons in which certain pursuits are proper are appointed by God. His plan for life involves a variety of experiences and activities. Weeping may be part of life, but life is not all weeping; laughter has a place, too (Ecclesiastes 3:4). Construction is good in its time, but sometimes deconstruction is necessary (verse 3).
A key to this passage is found a few verses later: “He has made everything beautiful in its time” (Ecclesiastes 3:11). The proper activity at the right time, bringing about God’s purposes, is a beautiful part of God’s overall plan. A tapestry, viewed from the back, seems a chaotic and unlovely work; but the maker of the tapestry has a wise purpose for the placement of each thread.
Third People are to accept each day as a gift from the hand of God (2:24–26). Why? Ecclesiastes 3:1–8 explains it is because God has a reason and a time for all things. People may be ignorant of God’s timing (3:9–11), but they are called to enjoy life in the present (3:12–13) and trust in God’s sovereignty (3:14–15).
Psalm 126
This is a psalm celebrating the return of exiles to Jerusalem, and asking for God’s grace as they seek to rebuild their lives and their homeland. What has been taken away will be returned, and there will be celebration. When we go through trials and challenges in our lives, we remember that God has promised not to abandon us, and we cling to the hope of restoration, of reconciliation, of new life.
Psalm 126 is a lament for the nation, a cry for deliverance. The past restoration of Zion by the lord’s action, the joy of the people, and the astonishment of the nations are recalled (vv. 1-3). A prayer for similar restoration in the present (v. 4), for a change in fortune as dramatic as the effect of water in an arid land, leads to a promise of renewed joy to come out of sorrow (vv. 5-6).
The fifth verse draws it out for us – “Restore our fortunes, O Lord, like the watercourses of the Negev.” The dry wadi of the wilderness in southern Palestine, are dry river courses; bereft of water they become gushing rivers during the rainy season. Wet and dry becomes a symbol of Israel’s difficult past and its fruitful future. The images change from a land of nothing to a land abounding in grain. This interaction between God and Israel does not happen in a void, however. The nations see and understand, recognizing the great deeds that God has done.
Romans 8:14-25
18 I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us. 19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God
A Romans 8:14-17
Here Paul wrestles with what it means to be a follower of Jesus. What he discovers is not a “mindset” as such, but rather a new mode of being. One does not merely follow, but rather becomes “a son, a daughter, a child” of the living God.
Having touched on the notion of “belonging” (such as a son, daughter, or child would have) Paul wants to make certain that his reader understands that this “belonging” is not like that of a slave, but rather that of an heir. The “belonging” brings into our life all the aspects of Jesus’ life, which we then share with him, from suffering to glory.
The Spirit gives to Christians “the spirit of adoption.” While Jesus is the Son by natural relationship, Christians are children of God by adoption. Legal adoption created full membership in the family and bestowed on the adopted child all the honor, privilege and inheritance rights of a natural child. God has given as the Spirit of sonship this gives us boldness and therefore we should not fear anything, cowering away as slaves. To one controlled by the Spirit there is no fear.
Romans 8:14-17 declares that all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. The way of God is to include, bless, love and build up; the way of the world is to divide, separate, and condemn. We witness God’s love in our inclusion of one another and in our sharing of God’s love with all. This is not a new idea that Paul has, but a very old belief that began with the Jewish people: that all of us are created as children of God, that God loves us all. What is new is that this message goes beyond one group of people, but to all human beings.
Christians are “joint heirs with Christ,” sharing in Christ’s passion and resurrection and looking forward to sharing in his glorification. As God’s children we are encouraged to call upon God as “Abba! Father!” as did Jesus (Mark 14:36). Now we are recipients of spiritual blessings (Ephesians 1:3) and in the future we will share with Christ in all the riches of the kingdom of God John 17:24. Meanwhile we may be called to share in Christ’s suffering and when we do, we should never be discouraged. “if, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.”
B. Present suffering & future glory 8:18-23
Paul reminds us in v. 18 the present sufferings we endure for Christ’s sake are not worthy to be compared to the glory we shall share with him. The glory will be forever; the suffering is temporary and light 2 Cor 4:17.
In Romans 8:19-21 Paul reminds his readers that God has a future program that its aspects include not only the salvation of people but also the creation as a whole. He tells us the creation too waits eagerly in expectation for the Son of God to be revealed. The revealing of the sons of God will occur when Jesus returns for his own. We will share in his glory Rom 8:18, Colossians 1:27; 3:4; Hebrews 2:10 and we will be transformed 8:23. God will remove the “frustration” at that time. When Gods program for his elect is complete and the children of God experience their glorious freedom from sin, “the creation itself will be liberated – freed from bondage to decay”.
C. Groanings 8:22-23
In the meantime the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Because of the present suffering the believer like the creation groans inwardly as they wait eagerly in hope of their adoptions as sons which Paul identify as redemption of the body – that will be completeness of salvation. It is referred to also by Paul as the revelation of the sons of God, and the glorious freedom of the children of God
D. Children of God have hope 8:24-25
Who hopes for what he already has? It is obvious we have not fully experienced completeness of salvation. That is why Paul asks the above rhetoric question. God has promised the one who believes in his son Jesus Christ will finally be delivered from sin and its effects. That is the hope of every child of God; In 1 Peter 1:3 Peter calls it “a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead”
John 16:16-24
Jesus Gives Disciples the Joys of His Assured Resurrection, Return, and Answered Prayer, 16:16–24
John 16 is part of his farewell discourse to his disciples (Chapters 15-17, set during Holy Week on the last night before his crucifixion
Jesus is preparing the disciples for the overwhelming sorrow that they would experience in the next few hours as they watched Him be arrested, mocked, scourged, and crucified. Their world would come crashing down around them. They had put their hopes and staked their futures on their belief that Jesus was the promised Messiah of Israel. The previous Sunday, their hopes were high as Jesus rode into Jerusalem to the “Hosannas” of the crowd. But now, everything that they had hoped for would come to a sudden, shocking end as they watched their Lord suffer and die. Jesus prepares them (and us) for suffering by teaching that:
16:16-23.
The first part is the mystery of the double sentences
16 “A little while, and you will no longer see me, and again a little while, and you will see me.” 17 Then some of his disciples said to one another, “What does he mean by saying to us, ‘A little while, and you will no longer see me, and again a little while, and you will see me’; and ‘Because I am going to the Father’?” 18 They said, “What does he mean by this ‘a little while’? We do not know what he is talking about.” 19 Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him, so he said to them, “Are you discussing among yourselves what I meant when I said, ‘A little while, and you will no longer see me, and again a little while, and you will see me’
One interpretation he first “little while” refers to Jesus’ death, whereas the second “little while” refers to His resurrection. There were examples of this happening in John’s Gospel – Mary Magdalene, eleven disciples minus Thomas, seven disciples at the Sea of Tiberias
When Jesus was crucified, the disciples would weep and lament, while Jesus’ enemies would rejoice. But after the disciples saw the risen Lord, their sorrow would be turned to lasting joy, which no one could take from them
The big questions will be answered after the Resurrection for these disciples, surely, because now everything decisive has been answered: death, the meaning of life, the reality of God, the basic puzzles of human existence, the gift of the Spirit for living the authentic life, and everything else intertwined with Jesus’ life
16:23b-24. is Jesus’ Final and Emphatic Promise to Prayer
The promise it if you ask anything of the Father in my name, he will give it to you.. so your joy may be complete. It may related to the need to tell Jesus story accurately including starting new communities These first disciples’ prayers were answered, positively and powerfully.