“Turn, Turn, Turn” is a song written by Pete Seeger in the late 1950s. It was recorded by The Byrds in 1965 and became a big hit in my teen years. Wikipedia says the lyrics, except for the title, which is repeated throughout the song, and the final two lines, are adapted word-for-word from the English version of the first eight verses of the third chapter of the biblical Book of Ecclesiastes:
1 There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:
2 a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot,
3 a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build,
4 a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain,
6 a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away,
7 a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak,
8 a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.
In the first 8 verses Solomon makes several observations that God is in control of time. In fact, times and seasons” are a regular part of life. Each day of life confirms that times and seasons in this world, as well as in our lives. Warren Wiersbe says of this passage, “From before our birth to the moment of our death, God is accomplishing His divine purposes, even though we may not always understand what He is doing.” Solomon infers God is at work in our individual lives, seeking to accomplish His will. All of these events come from God and they are good in their time. The inference is plain: if we cooperate with God’s timing, life will not be meaningless.
9 What does the worker gain from his toil? 10 I have seen the burden God has laid on men. 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.
Ecclesiastes 3 9–11
In verse 9, he repeats the opening question of 1:3, “Is all this labor really worth it?” Solomon makes these observations:
Life is a gift from God (v. 10). Life with all the seasons of both good and bad times is given to us by God. And lastly, life is linked to eternity. (v.11). He has “eternity in his heart”! Life can be enjoyed now. In fact, everything will be “beautiful in His time” (v. 11), even the toughest of times.
Thomas Chisholm wrote the hymn, “Great Is Thy Faithfulness” as a testament to God’s faithfulness through his very ordinary life. The song is based upon Lamentations 3:22-24, one verse reads:
“Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon, and stars in their courses above,
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy, and love.
Great Is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father!
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Though changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not
As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be.”
Just think, with each new day, God gives us the chance to prove His faithfulness. And throughout history, He’s never once been proven wrong, for His mercies are new every morning, no matter what. My prayer for you in this new year is that you will live each moment of your life to its fullest as days turn into weeks that turn into months that turn into years that turn into a life time. Bill and Gloria Gaither wrote a song some years ago that speaks of living each moment of life to its fullest.
“We have this moment to hold in our hand
and to touch as it slips through our fingers like sand.
Yesterday’s gone and tomorrow may never come.
We have this moment today.”
God bless you my friend in this season of your life.
David Archer
