Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 “To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; A time to plant, and a time to pluck what is 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 cast away stones, and a time to gather stones; A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; A time to gain, and a time to lose; A time to keep, and a time to throw away; A time to tear, and a time to sew; A time to keep silence, and a time to speak; A time to love, and a time to hate; A time of war, and a time of peace.”
The late Pastor J. Vernon McGee wrote that Ecclesiastes 3 illustrates the circles of life, describing different seasons. He says that you may feel a season with a big gaping hole in your life, and you need something to fill it. Pastor McGee tells us about how to fill that hole in our life with God’s comfort from “the God of all mercies”.
2 Corinthians 1:3-4 proclaims to us, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation.” To equip the Corinthian Christians for hard times, the Apostle Paul taught them about God Himself. He is the Father of mercies and God of all comfort. Did you know that about God? When you are convinced of the truth of God’s Word, you can live it out with enthusiasm even when you are traveling through loss. Believe it today.
John 3:16a “For God so loved the world that he gave ...”
Pastor McGee reminds us of God’s love, grace, and mercy. First, it is true that God loves us. It would break our hearts if we could grasp just how much He does. But, it’s sloppy theology to say God saves us by His love – we’re saved by God’s grace. Ephesians 2:8 explains that, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.” Appropriately, grace is the free unmerited love and favor of God, the spring and source of all the benefits men receive from Him.
We call the grace of God unmerited favor, which means that God saves us on a different basis than merit. Why? As “the Father of mercies”, God provided a Savior for us. Out of mercy, He provided what we didn’t have but totally needed. Do you need mercy today? When you need help, go to Him. After all, anything and everything you have today is a mercy from Him. We don’t deserve any of it, but He gives it all to us freely.
Our heavenly Father is also “the God of all comfort”. Comfort means “to come alongside of” to strengthen the mind when depressed or enfeebled; to console; to give new vigor to the spirit. The same word describes the Holy Spirit, the paraclete, the Comforter, the One called to our side. In John 14:15-17, 25- 26 Jesus said, “If ye love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever; even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it sees him not, neither knows him: but you know him; for he dwells with you, and shall be in you. These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you. But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”
The Spirit of God is called to help you, to strengthen you, to relieve the loneliness, ease the grief, and calm your fears. He is your advocate in time of fear and trouble. He will be with you in the desperate hour of life. Psalm 30:10 prays, “Hear, O Lord, and have mercy on me; Lord, be my helper!” When our soul cries out for the Comforter, He comes alongside us. When we know for sure that God is with us in all life’s troubles, we can live by faith and not by fear.
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