In chapters 1 & 2 the Teacher clearly expressed the viewpoint that everything is meaningless, yet at the end of chapter 2 we read that the Teacher sees that God is at work.

I shared a little about my pre-Christ experience in the last episode, and before we look at the next couple of chapters, I will share about how God makes things beautiful. As mentioned previously, I had separated myself from both of my parents. God was able to restore my relationship with them through, His amazing grace and mercy working in my life. I asked God to deal with issues within my heart. I needed to be able to apologise, and forgive. Without God it would have been meaningless to even have tried.

The Teacher, in chapter 3, writes sixteen lines all starting with ‘a time to …’. When we look at those sentences, we see that even in his despair, he acknowledges that God did not create a haphazard world; a world of chaos, in fact the contrary, was his revelation. In this world God has created opportunities for us; the question to be asked is: ‘How in touch are we with God? Do we see and work with the opportunities that He has given us?’

The Teacher understands that God makes it all happen and that He does not fit in, but rather we fit in to the whole system. Chapter 3:11&14: “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.” “I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that men will revere Him.”

One of the things that we like to do is control situations. We like to feel that we are in control of our destiny, money, status, marriage, and most importantly, our time on earth. That is so far from the truth. It would be far better for us to submit all that into the care of God, the Father. Let us get on with doing the things He would have us do, rather than control what we do and then try to fit God into those things that we do.

Surprisingly, the Teacher knows that judgment of everybody awaits. He takes a look at that from a viewpoint that wonders whether we shall waste away like the animals, for we all ‘share the same breath’. Yet he does not give up his understanding that there is a God who is in charge of the world.

The Teacher moves back into a level of frustration as he views the working environment. He talks about how some like to oppress others and take advantage of them, and he notes the suffering of the oppressed. If you are an oppressor of people, it would be wise for you to consider changing those ways very quickly. If you are an oppressed person, God sees your suffering; you are not alone in that. Keep honouring God in your situation.

He takes another look at the pursuit of wealth and asks the question: “For whom am I toiling?” He sees people working all day, all week, to gain more wealth, and when they have that wealth, they pursue even more, and he ends with this thought: “This too is meaningless – a miserable business!” He comes to the same conclusion after looking at how people chase status and power; again, he ends with the phrase: “This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.”

Let us be truthful. If you have ever been caught in the above traps, you know that there is no end to the levels you are prepared to go to; it is merely chasing and chasing and more chasing. The real enjoyment of living is to be found in giving and serving, not in getting and self-serving indulgence. It is the pursuit of inner peace and tranquillity, not the level of wealth, success and status, that marks true success. This only applies if you are a 100% sold-out Christ follower.

GOD DOES NOT FIT INTO OUR PLANS! It is we that need to fit in with God’s plan. We have the opportunity of understanding it and doing it right for a short space of time, and then it is over. What awaits after judgment is joy or immense pain. You are in control of this outcome. It is the only real control that you actually have.