To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven… A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance (Ecclesiastes 3:1 & 4). The word translated as “purpose” in verse 1 is translated in other scripture as pleasure, desire, matter, acceptable, and delight. The Preacher is writing of things “under heaven” and not in heaven or under the rule of heaven. The same word is used over and over again in the Book of Ecclesiastes in the phrase “under the sun.” The poetry is saying, in everything on earth there is a time for a thing and a time for the thing to pass (to be over, to change, to be different). Jesus said, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away” (Matthew 24:35). Another place it is written, “For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning” (Psalm 30:5).

Joseph was given a vision of things to come in his life. God knew the end from the beginning. The road to get to the plan God had for Joseph led Joseph into slavery, prison, and then the seat he saw in the vision. There was a time and a season for Joseph to be with his father, Jacob, where he was favored. There was a time when he was favored by his Egyptian master and was made overseer of the house. That favor ended, and Joseph was put into prison. In prison Joseph found favor and was given charge of his fellow prisoners. His season in prison ended and he was made overseer of the prosperity of Egypt. Joseph had favor with God in all his seasons, as he walked through them.

Do we know our season? Do we know when it is time to dance? When everything seems to be going the wrong way; when it looks like the prophecy spoken into our life is going in the wrong direction; when we feel like there is no hope; do we dance? “The LORD your God in your midst, the Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing” (Zephaniah 3:17). The God in the center of you (dwelling in your inner most part) will save you, rejoice over you being glad, quiet you (so you know He is God) with His love, and rejoice over you with singing. The rejoicing with gladness and the rejoicing with singing are two different parts of the sentence. The word quiet is stillness and peace. God has saved us. He is rejoicing with gladness. He is singing over us with joy. Do we dance as He sings over us?

God is so in love with us that He walked among us and sent the part of Himself that produces love to dwell within our inner most part. The Father in heaven sent the Son to love on us in such a way as to save us. The Father and the Son sent the Holy Spirit to dwell within us in such a way to produce love. It is wonderful to be immersed in the Love of God; it is a greater wonder when the Spirit of God dwells within while being immersed in the Love of God. The Love of God dwells in me, and I dwell in the Love of God. He in me, and I am in Him. The Love of God is eternal and does not pass when the season changes; the Love of God is not under heaven, but brings heaven to earth. God’s anger will pass away, but His favor is for eternal life. The weeping is for a moment, but His joy is eternal.

The night ends in a moment, when the peace of God gives us rest; but the joy is eternal. Eternal is always; without a beginning and without an end. Even in the time of mourning there is joy – joy endures the time of mourning because it is from God and eternal. Joy lives in the day without night. Joy is always with the light of the world. In my physical body I may not always feel the joy, but in the Spirit the joy of the Lord is eternal. The kingdom of God is within; the joy of the Lord is in His love as He covers me and fills me to overflowing. There is no difference in the way He love you. Is it time to dance?

© 2010, Tim D. Coulter Sr.