Go! And Trust God's Timing - Ecclesiastes 3:1–11 Series

Go! And Trust God's Timing - Ecclesiastes 3:1–11

Ecclesiastes 3:1–11 (NLT):

“For everything there is a season,

a time for every activity under heaven.

A time to be born and a time to die.

A time to plant and a time to harvest.

A time to kill and a time to heal.

A time to tear down and a time to build up.

A time to cry and a time to laugh.

A time to grieve and a time to dance.

A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones.

A time to embrace and a time to turn away.

A time to search and a time to quit searching.

A time to keep and a time to throw away.

A time to tear and a time to mend.

A time to be quiet and a time to speak.

A time to love and a time to hate.

A time for war and a time for peace.

What do people really get for all their hard work?

I have seen the burden God has placed on us all.

Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time.

He has planted eternity in the human heart,

but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work

from beginning to end.”

Introduction: The Rhythm of Life

Life is full of seasons—some joyful, some painful, some confusing. Ecclesiastes 3 reminds us that every moment—yes, every moment—has its appointed time under heaven. And today, I want to speak to your heart about trusting God's timing and responding to His ultimate invitation: to find peace, purpose, and salvation in Jesus Christ.

In a world of constant change and uncertainty, God calls us to anchor our lives in His eternal plan—through Christ. Let’s explore this passage, and discover how it ultimately points us to the Gospel, to grace, and to God’s glorious plan for our salvation.

Point 1: There Is a Season for Everything—But Only God Sees the Whole Story

“For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven.” – Ecclesiastes 3:1 (NLT)

The Hebrew word translated “season” is ????? (zeman), which means a set, appointed time. Not random. Not chaotic. Appointed—by God.

Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived apart from Christ, penned this list as a poetic reflection on life’s cycles. Birth and death, weeping and laughing, gaining and losing. But underneath the rhythm of this passage lies a deeper truth: God is sovereign over time.

Isaiah 46:10 (NLT): “Only I can tell you the future before it even happens. Everything I plan will come to pass, for I do whatever I wish.”

God isn’t surprised by your season. He isn’t late. He isn’t early. He is perfectly on time. And He’s working out His sovereign purposes in your life—even when you don’t understand them.

John Piper once said: “God is always doing 10,000 things in your life, and you may be aware of three of them.”

Amen! But, don’t let the three things you can see rob you of trusting the ten thousand things God is doing behind the scenes.

Point 2: God Has Planted Eternity in Our Hearts

“He has planted eternity in the human heart…” – Ecclesiastes 3:11 (NLT)

The Hebrew word for “eternity” here is ?????? (olam)—it conveys the idea of timelessness, forever, something beyond human comprehension.

It means that deep in your soul, you long for more than this world can offer. Every person—rich or poor, young or old—has an ache that can’t be satisfied by earthly pleasures.

You were created for eternity. Not just to live and die, but to live forever with your Creator.

2 Corinthians 5:1 (NLT): “For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down... we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands.”

That longing in your soul? It’s not a flaw—it’s a feature. It’s designed to draw you to Jesus Christ, who offers eternal life.

Tim Keller put it this way: “The gospel is this: We are more sinful and flawed in ourselves than we ever dared believe, yet at the very same time we are more loved and accepted in Jesus Christ than we ever dared hope.”

That eternal ache inside you? It’s a call to salvation. And the answer is Christ alone.

Point 3: You Can’t See the Whole Picture—But God Can

“…but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end.” – Ecclesiastes 3:11 (NLT)

Have you ever tried looking at the back of a tapestry? It’s all messy threads, knots, colours going in every direction. But flip it over? It reveals a masterpiece.

That’s your life. Right now, you may see tangled threads. Pain. Waiting. Confusion. But God sees the whole picture. He’s weaving His glory and your good together.