December 31, 2017

Breaking Open the Scripture Scriptures for December 31st: Ecclesiastes 3:1-13; Psalm 8; Revelation 21:1-6; Matthew 25:31-46; New Year’s Eve Ecclesiastes: It is appropriate for us to think about time on New Year’s Eve. At the stroke of midnight, everything changes. King Solomon wrote Ecclesiates , he was writing out of frustration. He felt that life was hopeless, because no matter how hard you tried to accomplish anything, it was all up to God. In some ways he felt that time and effort was wasted. But he gives some important truths in the midst of his frustration that all things happen in God’s time. And that there is a time and more importantly there is a season for everything. In order to know how to respond to that season, we have to have a relationship with God and know how to listen and respond to God’s leading. Revelation: This is another appropriate verse for the new year. It is time for old things to pass away and for new things to come into existence. This is a vision of what life will be like when God comes to live in our world. Presently this is a world of sorrow, or sickness, of need of want. It is a time of darkness where we have to wait for the sun to come up. Revelation says that when God comes it will be light all of the time. We will never cry because our needs will always be met. The starting of a new year is preparation for that day. We can put aside our problems, our cares, the things we have been struggling with all year. We can let God come in and take care of it all. Questions: What time is it in your life? Is it an up time or a down time? What it God telling you about the time in your life? What are the burdens that you have been carrying that you can let go of in the new year? How is God working in your life? You can view Breaking Open the Scripture online at https://breakingopenthescriptures.blogspot.comYou can view Pastor Harriette’s sermons online at https://aplaceforshalom.blogspot.com