Trusting God's Sovereignty in Life's Seasons

1. "When we think about our life, we think about the human experience in life. As we've already covered in chapter one, the earth is just moving. It's just that big crunch. Life doesn't stop for you. Life doesn't stop and acknowledge, there goes the greatest person to have walked this earth. Life just continues on. But as life continues, responsibilities grow, problems arise, stress increases, anxiety grows, health problems increase, relationships splinter, loved ones pass away. And you begin to realize the true saying that I love is the only easy day was yesterday because it's behind you." [04:06] (40 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


2. "When we ask the question, why does bad things happen to good people? I want to flip that on its head and ask, why does anything good happen at all? Why do we have this expectation that we should have some form of enjoyment in this life? Why should we expect something good to come? Why should we expect that promotion? Why should we expect that spouse? Why should we expect obedient kids? Why should we expect a large bank account? Where does this expectation come from? What innate in us gives us this expectation? And then when something bad happens, we think, why this? We also need to ask the why when the good happens. Why did God see so fit to give me this? Why did God bless me with this?" [05:32] (51 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


3. "Because when we think about the human condition in the fall that happened in the garden, what is the consequences of sin? Death. What do we all deserve? Death. So anything not death is a blessing. And that's how we need to view this life. And these are questions that Solomon is about to answer for us, that we as Christians with the body, with being in communion with Christ, we have to understand this. Because I don't ever want to think that anything happens is a matter of chance, is a matter of coincidence. Good, bad, or indifferent, I need to recognize the source of these items." [07:04] (40 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


4. "And you shouldn't be weeping when you should be laughing. But he's saying this is appropriate. There's times for this. And verse four, now Solomon is dealing with the human emotions, the wide range of human emotions, a time to mourn and a time to dance. If you look at this throughout this section, Solomon is using a literary device known as parallelisms. He's comparing and contrasting and paralleling. If you want to look at this even more, you can underline birth, die, plant, uproot, kill, heal, tear, tear down, build up, weep, laugh, mourn, dance. You can almost make a song out of this." [22:11] (38 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


5. "And what Solomon is saying is, there are these times, so enjoy what you have when you have it for as long as you have it. Find enjoyment in that. Don't take it for granted. When you're not sick, enjoy not being sick. When you are sick, enjoy that you know eventually, Lord willing, it will end, whether in this life or when you go home. And embrace, enjoy the things that God has given you. He's not saying become a monk. He's not saying sell everything and live on the road. He is saying, don't be consumed with the worry, the anxiety, and everything that is outside of your control. Don't worry about that because when you're worried about that, you will not be able to enjoy what God is giving you." [52:07] (45 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


6. "And what Solomon is saying, he's saying, everything is beautiful in its time. And what we have to understand is anything that is beyond our control and anything that is in our control, that time is determined by God. And there is a mystery that all humans try to occupy themselves with, that we all get caught up with and stuck in its orbit in its time. The time, events, affairs, all of that is determined by God. God already knows who's going to become the president of the United States. God already knows the reciprocating effects that will happen from whoever that is. God already knows what will happen when whatever fill in the blank you're considering or thinking about happens. He already knows when it will happen. He already knows the effects that will happen from that because he has already established and determined that that will happen. I need to trust in this." [42:00] (52 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


7. "And I can find assurance in this. I love this verse as an exhortation for you all. Romans 11, 33 to 36. Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God. How unsearchable are his judgments and unfathomable his ways. For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who became his counselor? Or who has first given to him that it might be repaid to him? For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever. Amen. That is the right view. That is how we must view our life. God's timing is set. The seasons are fixed. And guess what? They're beautiful. No one can add to what he will do, nor can anyone diminish, restrain, or undo what has already been done and what will be done." [01:00:05] (50 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


8. "And what we have to understand is that these items, the good and bad in life, we do not need to protect God when it seems like he may be the orchestrator of evil. It seems to be evil from our humanly perspective. But in the broad divine perspective, in the infinite wisdom of God, it is not good. Think back to Joseph. And his brother sold him into slavery. I mean, you want to have someone who should have complained his whole life. But towards the end, in Genesis chapter 50, after the father died, the brother sent up a letter because they were nervous that Joseph was going to imprison and or kill them, saying, please, our father asked for you to forgive us. And he said, what you had meant for evil, God had meant for good. So even from a human perspective, things may definitely seem and feel as though they're evil. Our body doesn't like it. But God, I must trust, and Solomon's about to get to this, trust that God is working this out for some measure of good. And that I can find solace." [38:52] (62 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


9. "And what Solomon is saying here is that everything that God does will be forever. You cannot change what God has declared. When God declared in Genesis three, Eve through your seed, I'm going to bring a savior and he will crush the head of the snake. Satan, by goodness sakes, tried his best to thwart that plan. Guess what? It happened. So God says, hey, Jesus says, I'm coming back. Guess what? Jesus is coming back. Jesus says, blessings for you. There's blessings for you. Jesus says, you can have life and live it to the fullest in and through me. Then you can. I need to change and reprioritize though. What does that look like? What are those things? And am I okay with both the good and the bad? And Solomon is saying, you can't change God's mind. No one can change God's mind. There's nothing to add to it. And there's nothing to take from it. God has so worked that men should fear him." [54:37] (57 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


10. "And typically, we only trust in God when the need for God arises. But this is a day in, day out. This is a waking up, going to bed. This is a driving. This is a riding. This is a walking. This is a sleeping. This is a talking. Fully and completely trusting in God for everything. And that everything that is happening, God is in control. And that everything that is happening, it is beautiful in its time. And I need, we need, you need to be okay with not knowing when that time is. But we should be trusting. And what Solomon is about to direct us to, that it is because of God I can find enjoyment." [50:50] (37 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)