“He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.” (Ecclesiastes 3:11, NIV)
Context
This verse comes from a book that is attributed to King Solomon, the wisest and richest man who ever lived. In this book, he shares his observations and reflections on life, as he searches for meaning and purpose in a world that seems full of vanity and futility.
He explores various aspects of human existence, such as work, pleasure, wisdom, wealth, justice, and death, and evaluates them from a human and a divine perspective.
In chapter 3, he talks about the seasons and cycles of life, and how there is a time for everything under the sun.
Message
What can we learn from this verse and its context? First, we can learn that God is the creator and sustainer of everything. He has made everything beautiful in its time, according to His design and plan.
He has given order and harmony to the universe, and He upholds it by His power and wisdom. He is the source and the goal of all things, and He works all things for His glory and our good.
Second, we can learn that God has given us a sense of eternity. He has also set eternity in the human heart, meaning that He has planted in us a longing and a desire for something more than this temporal and transient world.
He has made us for Himself, and He has given us a capacity and a curiosity to know Him and His ways. He has created us in His image, and He has endowed us with dignity and destiny.
Third, we can learn that God is beyond our comprehension. Yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end, meaning that we cannot fully grasp or understand the mystery and the majesty of God and His works.
He is infinite and eternal, and we are finite and temporal. He is sovereign and wise, and we are limited and foolish. He is holy and righteous, and we are sinful and flawed.
How can we apply this verse and its message to our lives? Here are some suggestions:
Worship God
Acknowledge that God is the creator and sustainer of everything, and that He deserves our praise and gratitude. Thank Him for His beauty and goodness, and for His grace and mercy.
Adore Him for His greatness and glory, and for His love and faithfulness. Surrender to Him as your Lord and Savior, and trust Him as your Father and Friend.
Seek God
Recognize that God has given you a sense of eternity, and that He is the only one who can satisfy your deepest needs and desires.
Ask Him to reveal Himself to you, and to guide you in His truth and will. Study His Word, and listen to His voice. Pray to Him, and commune with Him. Serve Him, and follow Him.
Humble yourself before God
Realize that God is beyond your comprehension, and that you need His wisdom and grace. Do not lean on your own understanding, or rely on your own strength. Do not question or challenge God’s ways, or resent or rebel against God’s purposes.
Do not boast or brag about yourself, or judge or condemn others. Rather, submit to God’s authority, and depend on God’s power.
Seek God’s forgiveness, and extend God’s forgiveness. Learn from God’s correction, and grow in God’s likeness.
God has set eternity in the human heart, and He invites us to know Him and love Him. This is the message of Ecclesiastes 3:11, and this is the message of the gospel. Let us heed it and live by it.
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