“Again I saw that under the sun the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the intelligent, nor favor to those with knowledge, but time and chance happen to them all. For man does not know his time. Like fish that are taken in an evil net, and like birds that are caught in a snare, so the children of man are snared at an evil time, when it suddenly falls upon them.”
Ecclesiastes 9:11-12
There are a few certainties in life. Health, wealth, jobs, careers, and loved ones can be here today and abruptly taken from us tomorrow (Prv 23:4-5, 1 Pt 1:24). Solomon rightly observed that there are seasons set in our lives for many things by the sovereign and providential will of God…even our time of birth and death (Ecc 3:2). Truly, the only certainty in this life, aside from God, is uncertainty.
David wisely asked God for understanding regarding the significance of life’s brevity (Ps 39:4), saying, “O Lord, make me know my end and what the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting I am!” In Psalm 39, David reflects on life as he laments the prosperity of the wicked. Through this, he is reminded of God’s ultimate justice and begins to examine his own heart. He asks God to help him measure his days. In other words, how should he be daily mindful of the shortness of life, and how should this revelation motivate him to focus on his faithfulness toward God?
In this focus text, Solomon takes this theme a step further. He states that regardless of the strength or weakness of our talents, or the abundance or lack of earthly provisions, God shows no partiality in the timing and certainty of our earthly end; thus, “…time and chance happen to them all” (cf. Mt 5:45).
What should we learn from these truths?
Our primary focus in life is not about how long and well we live, but rather how faithfully we live toward God in Christ with the time granted to us. We have only one life given by God, and that is all (Heb 9:27). Here are a few specific reflective questions we should pray over:
- How are we using our lives to be faithful to the mission of Christ?
- If we have material wealth, how are we using it to help those who lack and to further the Gospel mission? (Lk 12:13-21, 1 Tim 6:17-19, Jam 5:1-6)
- If we have health, how are we using our strength to bear the burdens of the weak? (Rom 15:1-3)
- If we have power and influence, how are we using our positions to promote and administer justice for the innocent, the poor, the widow, and the marginalized of society? (Isa 10:1-2, Jer 22:3, Ps 106:3)
In the final analysis, we will not be judged for skills, talents, and resources we do not possess. Rather, what are we doing with what God has placed in our hands to be His agents of redemption in the lives of others? Remember, no one knows the hour of his end. Therefore, we should pray for God to lead us and help us use the time He has given us for faithful, Spirit-led living unto Him, not ourselves.
Dr. Jason S. Price, Th.D
www.springoflivingwaters.com
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