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.
Romans 8:28 (NLT): “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God…”
Let me share a story…
A missionary once served in Africa, spending decades in poverty and hardship. When he finally returned to America, the ship docked with a fanfare—for a visiting dignitary. No one welcomed the missionary. He prayed, “Lord, I’ve come home and there’s no one here.”
Then he heard God whisper, “You’re not home yet.”
Friends, our understanding is limited, but God’s plan is not.
Charles Stanley said: “God’s timing is perfect. He’s never early, never late. It takes a little patience and a whole lot of faith.”
And faith, friends, is trusting God when the timetable makes no sense.
Point 4: Jesus Christ Is the Fulfilment of All Time and Eternity
All the seasons—birth and death, joy and sorrow—point us to the One who entered time to bring us eternity.
Jesus is the Lord of all seasons. He stepped into our broken timeline to rescue us. He was born in time, died in time, rose in time, and now reigns beyond time.
Galatians 4:4–5 (NLT): “But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman… to buy freedom for us… so that he could adopt us as his very own children.”
Jesus didn’t come too soon or too late. He came at the right time. To redeem you. To rescue you. To restore you.
This is the Gospel:
Jesus lived the perfect life you could never live.
He died the death you deserved—bearing your sin and shame.
He rose again, conquering death, and now offers eternal life to all who believe.
The Clockmaker
Imagine a grand, handcrafted clock—a masterpiece of gears and wheels. But the clock is broken. The Clockmaker comes, not to destroy it, but to enter into it and fix it from the inside. That’s what Jesus did. He entered time to redeem time—and you.
The Call: Go! And Trust God's Timing—with All Your Heart
Are you weary in your current season? Are you doubting God's plan?
Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. – Proverbs 3:5–6 (NLT)
Jesus invites you today to repent and believe the Gospel. To trust His timing. To surrender your story into His sovereign hands.
You may not understand your season—but you can trust your Saviour.
Invitation to Salvation:
Friend, maybe you’ve been trying to write your own timeline. Maybe you've resisted the pull of eternity in your heart.
Today is your time—your season—to come home to Christ.
Jesus is calling you. Will you respond?
Repent. Believe. Trust. Surrender.
“For God says, ‘At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you.’ Indeed, the “right time” is now. Today is the day of salvation.” – 2 Corinthians 6:2 (NLT)
Benediction: A Word of Encouragement
Go, and trust God's timing. Let Jesus lead you through every season. He is faithful. He is near. And He is always on time.
“Now may the Lord of peace himself give you his peace at all times and in every situation.” – 2 Thessalonians 3:16 (NLT)
Amen.
