God’s Purpose in 2018 by David Jeremiah

Wednesday, December 27 God’s Purpose in 2018 To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven. Ecclesiastes 3:1 The longest section of Scripture used as lyrics in a popular (secular) song is Ecclesiastes 3:1-8. Folk artist Pete Seeger used those words in the 1950s as the basis for his song “Turn! Turn! Turn!” The song achieved number-one status when it was recorded by the rock group The Byrds in 1965. Typical of the Sixties, it was positioned as an anthem for world peace.

Recommended Reading: Ecclesiastes 12:13-14

The original author of the lyrics, Israel’s King Solomon, wrote the words from a different perspective: the vanity of railing against the vicissitudes of life instead of submitting to the sovereign hand of God (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14). There is a time and a season for everything, Solomon wrote with his limited understanding. We read those words today knowing they describe a fallen world in which not all circumstances are good. We don’t accept difficulties fatalistically, but we accept them knowing God is with us. He uses even the hard parts of life to show us His love and conform us to Christ (Romans 8:28-29). Resolve to find God in every moment of 2018, be the moments easy or hard. Look for God’s “purpose under heaven” in every part of your path. The man who lives in God is never out of season. Vance Havner