Turn, Turn, Turn

By Peter Lundell

I was driving one day, listening to an oldies station, when I heard Pete Seeger’s 1965 classic, “Turn, Turn, Turn” that the Byrds turned into a number one hit song in America. Right there in the left turn lane, the Holy Spirit seemed to dance all around me. I love it when God works through “secular” stuff.

But in fact the song is not so secular. It’s a musical rendition of Ecclesiastes 3:1-8. That day I spent two hours on a plane ride reading and rereading and meditating on those verses. In them I saw wisdom so deep, so multifaceted, so life encompassing that I could say it’s essential to everything a person ever thinks or does in life.

This is also how God works in our lives. He answers prayer—or doesn’t—based partly on what time it is in our lives.

So I hope you open up Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 and absorb the wisdom yourself. Read each line slowly. It will be worth every minute or hour you spend. Just a note: The line about scattering and gathering stones has to do with tearing down buildings or gathering materials to erect them—symbolically, ending or starting any kind of venture. The rest is self-explanatory.

If you’re interested, you can check out any of several recordings on YouTube.

This early one is cute and geeky: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUworKXBzdE.   

This later one has much better sound: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNopQq5lWqQ.

May you absorb the wisdom of God and know when to apply it.

PRAYER: “Lord God, You know my desires, yet You also know the season. Do what is right for this time and place in my life, and help me to understand. . . .”

“For everything there is an appointed time,

     and an appropriate time for every activity on earth:

A time to be born, and a time to die;

     a time to plant, and a time to uproot what was 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 throw away stones, and a time to gather stones;

     a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

A time to search, and a time to give something up as lost;

     a time to keep, and a time to throw away;

A time to rip, and a time to sew;

     a time to keep silent, and a time to speak.

A time to love, and a time to hate;

     a time for war, and a time for peace,” Ecclesiastes 3:1–8 NET.

Today’s devotion is by Peter Lundell, author of Prayer Power. A rising new voice on connecting with God, he is a pastor, Bible college teacher, and conference speaker. Visit him at www.PeterLundell.com for his inspirational “Connections” and free downloads of articles, parables, short stories, and book chapters.