A Time to Die

“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted.”Ecclesiastes 3:1-2

In the first eight verses of Ecclesiastes 3 there is a remarkable listing of 28 “times” arranged in 14 pairs of opposites (e.g., “a time to be born and a time to die”). Every timed event is planned by God and has a “purpose or reason“

Ecclesiastes 3:1For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven., and everything is “beautiful” in God’s time for it

Ecclesiastes 3:11Yet 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..

Although it is beyond our finite comprehension, it is still bound to be true that the infinite, omnipotent God “makes everything work out according to his plan.“

Ephesians 1:11Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God,[a] for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan..

Even when in our time we may not understand how a particular event can be purposeful or beautiful, we can have faith that if it occurs in God’s time for it,

Romans 8:28And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them..

The time of our birth is, of course, not under our control, but we can certainly have a part in determining the occurrence of all the other thirteen “times,” even the time of death. With the exception of those still living at the time of Christ’s return, each of us will eventually die. God has appointed a time for each individual, and it is wrong for him or her to shorten that time (by suicide or careless living, which can never be part of His will for any of us).

We should say with David: Psalm 31:15"My future is in your hands.Rescue me from those who hunt me down relentlessly".

Let us seek to live in ways pleasing to Him as long as He allows us to live. We should pray that, when our time is finished, He will enable us to die in a manner that will be

“beautiful for its own time“Ecclesiastes 3:11.

Not one of us knows when that ordained “time to die” may be for us, so we must seek daily to

"Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity".. Colossians 4:5