“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.” – Ecclesiastes 3:1
Life is full of change. One moment we’re celebrating a new beginning, and the next, we’re grieving a loss. We experience laughter and tears, building up and letting go. The rhythm of life doesn’t ask for our permission to shift—it simply moves forward. And in Ecclesiastes 3, Solomon captures this ebb and flow of time in a poetic and powerful way.
He writes:
These words remind us that life is made up of seasons. Some are joyful, others are painful. Some stretch us, and others give us rest. But through every shift and change, there is one steady truth: God never changes.
You Don’t Get to Choose the Season, But You Do Get to Choose Your Response
So much of life feels out of our control. We don’t get to decide when hardships will hit or how long a joyful moment will last. But what we can control is our posture toward the season we’re in. Are we resisting change, or are we trusting God’s purpose in it?
Solomon’s wisdom urges us to embrace life’s seasons as part of God’s greater design. This doesn’t mean we pretend to be okay when we’re not—it means we recognize that no season is wasted in God’s hands. Even in times of weeping, mourning, or tearing down, God is present. And when the seasons change again—and they always do—His faithfulness goes with us.
Trust That God Makes Everything Beautiful in Its Time
After listing the many seasons of life, Solomon takes a reflective turn in verse 11:
There’s a beautiful tension in this verse. God’s timing brings beauty, yet we can’t always understand it. He’s writing a story that spans eternity, while we’re living page by page. That can be frustrating, but it’s also freeing. We don’t have to have all the answers. We don’t have to make sense of everything. We simply need to trust the One who sees the whole picture.
God is not only the author of our story—He’s also the anchor through every chapter.
Gratitude Turns the Ordinary into a Gift
As Solomon continues, he shifts from talking about time to encouraging a posture of joy and contentment: “I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God.” (Ecclesiastes 3:12-13)
In a culture that constantly pushes us to chase the next big thing, Solomon reminds us that contentment is found in the everyday gifts of life. A warm meal. Honest work. Time with loved ones. These simple pleasures become profound when we recognize them as gifts from God.
We often spend so much time waiting for “what’s next” that we miss the very moments we once prayed for. Gratitude helps us slow down and savor what we already have.
What Lasts Forever Is What Matters Most
Solomon closes this section with a truth that grounds all the others: “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.” (Ecclesiastes 3:14)
God’s work is eternal. Our seasons are temporary, but His purpose lasts. And when we anchor our lives in Him, we align ourselves with what truly matters. We were made for more than the moment—we were made for eternity.
When we live with this perspective, our priorities shift. We stop striving for things that won’t last and start seeking what will: faith, hope, love, and trust in a faithful God.
Reflection Questions:
Whatever season you’re in—whether it’s full of questions or full of joy—remember this: God is with you. His timing is perfect. His purpose is unshakable. Life changes, but He stays the same. And that’s the best reason to trust Him through it all.
Life is full of change. One moment we’re celebrating a new beginning, and the next, we’re grieving a loss. We experience laughter and tears, building up and letting go. The rhythm of life doesn’t ask for our permission to shift—it simply moves forward. And in Ecclesiastes 3, Solomon captures this ebb and flow of time in a poetic and powerful way.
He writes:
“A time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot…
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance…” (Ecclesiastes 3:2-4)
These words remind us that life is made up of seasons. Some are joyful, others are painful. Some stretch us, and others give us rest. But through every shift and change, there is one steady truth: God never changes.
You Don’t Get to Choose the Season, But You Do Get to Choose Your Response
So much of life feels out of our control. We don’t get to decide when hardships will hit or how long a joyful moment will last. But what we can control is our posture toward the season we’re in. Are we resisting change, or are we trusting God’s purpose in it?
Solomon’s wisdom urges us to embrace life’s seasons as part of God’s greater design. This doesn’t mean we pretend to be okay when we’re not—it means we recognize that no season is wasted in God’s hands. Even in times of weeping, mourning, or tearing down, God is present. And when the seasons change again—and they always do—His faithfulness goes with us.
Trust That God Makes Everything Beautiful in Its Time
After listing the many seasons of life, Solomon takes a reflective turn in verse 11:
“He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.”
There’s a beautiful tension in this verse. God’s timing brings beauty, yet we can’t always understand it. He’s writing a story that spans eternity, while we’re living page by page. That can be frustrating, but it’s also freeing. We don’t have to have all the answers. We don’t have to make sense of everything. We simply need to trust the One who sees the whole picture.
God is not only the author of our story—He’s also the anchor through every chapter.
Gratitude Turns the Ordinary into a Gift
As Solomon continues, he shifts from talking about time to encouraging a posture of joy and contentment: “I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God.” (Ecclesiastes 3:12-13)
In a culture that constantly pushes us to chase the next big thing, Solomon reminds us that contentment is found in the everyday gifts of life. A warm meal. Honest work. Time with loved ones. These simple pleasures become profound when we recognize them as gifts from God.
We often spend so much time waiting for “what’s next” that we miss the very moments we once prayed for. Gratitude helps us slow down and savor what we already have.
What Lasts Forever Is What Matters Most
Solomon closes this section with a truth that grounds all the others: “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.” (Ecclesiastes 3:14)
God’s work is eternal. Our seasons are temporary, but His purpose lasts. And when we anchor our lives in Him, we align ourselves with what truly matters. We were made for more than the moment—we were made for eternity.
When we live with this perspective, our priorities shift. We stop striving for things that won’t last and start seeking what will: faith, hope, love, and trust in a faithful God.
Reflection Questions:
- What season of life are you in right now—joyful, painful, uncertain?
- How are you seeing God at work in this season?
- Are there gifts in your current season that you’ve overlooked?
- What can you do this week to practice contentment and trust in God’s timing?
Whatever season you’re in—whether it’s full of questions or full of joy—remember this: God is with you. His timing is perfect. His purpose is unshakable. Life changes, but He stays the same. And that’s the best reason to trust Him through it all.
Posted in Chasing Purpose