Sunday Scripture

 

Lovely graphic by Abby at Little Birdie Blessings

 Okay, so we are starting a new series for Sunday Scripture!  Back in 2018, I did a simple study from Rachel Wojo called Everything Beautiful.  You can read about it here: Everything Beautiful Bible reading plan.  Interestingly, although  it took me months to begin this study, it was perfect in God's timing.  In early March 2018 I fell on the ice, injuring my back, and it took weeks to recuperate (pretty sure there were compression fractures).  I had decided to begin this little study in March, and it couldn't have been more perfect for my situation.

My answers and input on this series will likely be a combination of what I learned back then, and what I found in looking over the Scriptures now, six years later.  I'm going to attempt to SOAP the passages too, though some of them are longer.  So buckle your seat belt, it may be a bumpy ride as I attempt this!

I'd also like to note that this Bible reading plan may be downloaded at the link above.  And you might enjoy trying some of the journaling prompts for yourself!

S= "To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.
"A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
"A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
"A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
"A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
"A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
"A time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
"A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.
"What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboreth?
"I have seen the travail, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it.
"He hath made every thing beautiful in its time; also He hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end."  (Ecclesiastes 3:1-11)

O= Scofield wrote concerning the book of Ecclesiastes that it is "the book of man 'under the sun' reasoning about life".  

In Warren Wiersbe's With the Word devotional commentary, he explains, "In this book Solomon seeks to answer the question 'Is life worth living?'  First, he states the problem and argues for the negative (chapters 1-2).  Then he examines the problem from many different angles (chapters 3-10) and argues for the positive.  He concludes that life is worth living if you put God first and obey His Word (chapters 11-12).

He adds, "Called a pessimistic book, Ecclesiastes is actually realistic.  Solomon looked at life and death, success and failure, time and events, and wrote down some wise counsel about how to live a meaningful life in a world of contradictions and seeming futility."

Now for a few cross-references:

For "a time to die" (Ecclesiastes 3:2) -- "It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment."  (Hebrews 9:27)

For "weep" (v. 4) -- "Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep."

For "refrain from embracing" (v. 5) -- "Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer, and come together again, that Satan tempt you not."  (1 Corinthians 7:5)

For "silence" (v.7) -- "Therefore, the prudent shall keep silence in that time; for it is an evil time."  (Amos 5:13)

For "speak" (v. 7) -- "A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver."  (Proverbs 29:11)

For "hate" (v. 8) -- "A righteous man hateth lying, but a wicked man is loathsome, and cometh to shame."  (Proverbs 13:5)

For "travail" (v. 10) --  "For all his days are sorrows, and his travail grief; yea, his heart taketh not rest in the night.  This is also vanity."  (Ecclesiastes 2:23)

For "find out" (v. 11) -- "Then I beheld all the work of God, that a man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun, because, though a man labor to seek it out, yet shall he not find it; yea, further, though a wise man think to know it, yet shall he not be able to find it."  (Ecclesiastes 8:17)

And also ... "world" in verse 11 literally means "eternity".

A= Concerning these verses, Warren Wiersbe mentions two alliterative points:  Balance and Beauty.  Balance is seen in verses 1-8 where we see the various times for life events and activities.  Wiersbe writes, "When life is especially difficult, we are prone to see only one side of the situation.  In these statements, Solomon reminds you that God is in control of life and keeps everything balanced.  You feel pain when there is bereavement, but you feel joy when there is a birth. You are not always weeping, but neither are you always laughing.  Job knew this principle, and it gave him strength in his trials."

"The LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD."  (Job 1:21)

Concerning Beauty, Wiersbe observes,

"It may not look like it now, but God will bring beauty out of all that happens (Romans 8:28, Isaiah 61:1-7).  No matter what the seed looks like, the flower will be beautiful, so give God time to work.  You were made for the eternal; in Christ, you share eternal life, the life of God (1 John 5:9-13)

For this Scripture, there were a number of ways to apply it as prompted in the journal.  

"I want to focus on the beauty of God's work, even when I feel the ugliness of life's seasons." -- Rachel Wojo

The question was asked: What season or circumstance in life challenges me to see God's gifts of beauty?

My response in 2018: "My answer would have been quite different had I begun this on March 1 as I had planned.  I would likely have said the season of settling an estate.  Now, after a fall and a back injury, I would say just the circumstances of pain, discomfort, and limitations."

I quickly realized, even back then, that God had allowed those circumstances to give me some much-needed rest.  I had been through a long season of eldercare and was now plunged into settling my dad's estate following his passing in 2017.  Enforced rest was exactly what I needed.

Answering this same question in 2024

My response: Seasons of difficulties with people definitely challenge me to see God's gifts of beauty, yet as Wiersbe says above, God will bring beauty out of all that happens even though it may not look likely at the time.  I find that it really does help me keep perspective on people and situations if I take time to notice God's power, beauty, and creativity in all that He has made.

This prompt was given, along with a list: Today I will keep my eyes open for God's beauty in one or more of these places.

These are the places I circled: The words I read; the people I encounter; the air I breathe; the weather I experience; the rest I receive.

I decided to take a few minutes to write about these places.  I often find beauty in Scripture, especially as I write it out and memorize it.  In addition, I enjoy the beauty of words in the writing of others.  People I encounter may exhibit beauty in many ways: in a little granddaughter's lovely face; colors or textures in their clothing or creative endeavors; the beauty of Christlikeness in a life.  The air I breathe here in New Hampshire seems fresh and clean, especially here in New Hampshire.  There is so much beauty in the weather, especially the snow and ice of winter.  And the rest I receive each night is truly a rich and beautiful blessing -- one that I never take for granted.

A journaling prompt was this: List one or more ideas to remind myself to intentionally look for God's beauty throughout the day.

2018: I'll likely be indoors much, or more likely, all of this day.  I need to make a point of looking out the window to see the beauty of a snow-covered landscape, even on a cloudy winter day.  I also want to focus on God's goodness in giving me time to rest.

2024: We've formed the habit of taking a short walk at sunrise each morning.  The sun gilding the tops of the evergreens is one thing we've begun to look for.  In a longer walk, later in the day, I often notice beautiful or unique things about God's creation.

P=  "Lord, I I thank You for the opportunity to look back at a season that felt very difficult at the time.  I do praise You for Your goodness in giving me that time to rest.  It wasn't the way I would have chosen to get rest, but it was the way you provided, and was for the best.  I praise that You helped me to be appreciative and to savor that quieter time.  

"I thank You also for the beauty of sunrise and the health and strength now to get out there each morning and take it in.  I praise You for the glorious winter night sky as well, and even the understated beauty of a cloudy winter day.  I thank You that Your beauty is visible in so many ways in our world.   I praise You for all of this, in Jesus' name, Amen."

So that is our first Sunday in the new series.  I hope it hasn't felt too disjointed and that it's been a blessing to someone.