There’s a verse that has been rattling around in my head lately. It comes from Ecclesiastes 3: “To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven.” You know how the rest goes.
2A time to be born,
And a time to die;
A time to plant,
And a time to pluck what is planted;
3A time to kill,
And a time to heal;
A time to break down,
And a time to build up;
4A time to weep,
And a time to laugh;
A time to mourn,
And a time to dance;
5A time to cast away stones,
And a time to gather stones;
A time to embrace,
And a time to refrain from embracing;
6A time to gain,
And a time to lose;
A time to keep,
And a time to throw away;
7A time to tear,
And a time to sew;
A time to keep silence,
And a time to speak;
8A time to love,
And a time to hate;
A time of war,
And a time of peace.
We are in a season – a time – we don’t understand. It will be many more days, perhaps months or years, before we come to understand the purpose of this season we are in. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that nothing is happening during this season. Don’t make the error of believing that God is not a work just because it is ‘a time to stay at home.’ Eventually, it will be ‘a time to go back’ to the office or the school. There will be a purpose for that time as well.
During this season, we are frustrated in many ways. Our inability to solve problems or help others or make things better is overwhelming. We can rest in the confidence that there is ‘a purpose under heaven’ for this season. God is at work redeeming the things that are painful and difficult. Until then, we wait upon the Lord.
