A Time for Everything – and for Eternity
«To everything 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.»
«Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.»
Let these verses remind you to take your own Bible in your hands, read them there again and, if you wish, continue a little further. Holding God's Word in your hands also gives you a precious moment away from the digital world.
Do not read the Bible in one long run, but passage by passage: one text, unhurried, asking the Holy Spirit for understanding. Whoever tries to swallow everything at once loses the overview. Whoever takes one passage each day will see the whole picture over time.
The connection
The Preacher observes the cycle of life and death, of building and decay, as a given order. Christ embraces this reality and reveals how dying, how losing one's life, is not the end, but the path to fullness and eternal life. He elevates natural transience into a divine principle of fruitfulness and love that extends beyond earthly time.
Reflection
Yesterday, we celebrated the wisdom that leads us to a life of abundance. Today, with the Preacher, we look upon an undeniable truth: there is a time for everything. A time to be born, a time to die, a time to plant, a time to pluck up – an eternal cycle that often leaves us bewildered. It reminds us of the fleeting nature of our existence, the limits of our control, and the inevitable movement of life.
Yet, Jesus gives this transience a new dimension. The grain of wheat that dies brings forth much fruit. Our clinging to earthly life leads to loss, but letting go leads to eternal life. What at first glance seems paradoxical is a profound truth: the readiness to release the old, to give ourselves away, opens us to true fullness, to a fruitfulness that extends beyond our limited existence.
This movement – from clinging to letting go, from dying to bearing fruit – is the core of our week. It frees us from the illusion of being able to control everything and invites us to live our time consciously, trusting that God holds a deeper meaning and an eternal perspective even in decay and release.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, I stand at the beginning of this day, recognising the transience that surrounds me. There is a time for everything, and I am often tempted to hold on where I should let go. Help me today to embrace the wisdom of the Preacher and to understand the truth of your Son: that in dying and letting go, true life and fruit are hidden. Teach me to live my time consciously, trusting in your eternal love, which works all things for good. Amen.
The thread
Having considered the fullness of life in Christ yesterday, the Preacher introduces us today to the reality of transience. This is the first step of our week, which will show us how this transience frees us for what truly matters.
Embrace transience, for it is the soil for new, eternal life in Christ.
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