There truly is a time for all things.

 There is a right time for everything, and everything on earth will happen at the right time.

There is a time to be born and a time to die.

 There is a time to plant and a time to pull up plants.

 There is a time to kill and a time to heal.

There is a time to destroy and a time to build.

There is a time to cry and a time to laugh.

There is a time to be sad and a time to dance with joy.

 There is a time to throw weapons down and a time to pick them up.

There is a time to hug someone and a time to stop holding so tightly.

 There is a time to look for something and a time to consider it lost.

There is a time to keep things and a time to throw things away.

 There is a time to tear cloth and a time to sew it.

There is a time to be silent and a time to speak.

 There is a time to love and a time to hate.

There is a time for war and a time for peace.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (Easy-to-Read Version)

Out of this whole list, the hardest for us to fathom is why God would ever declare there is a time for war. But throughout the Old Testament, it seems those Israelites were doing nothing but making war. It was all part of God’s plan for the great nation of Israel. His chosen people were supposed to dominate their part of the world, so with God as the divine commander, they conquered many nations. In the end, though, because they were a sinful people, it didn’t turn out so well for them.

In our modern times, we ask ourselves what the purpose for war is. Thankfully there hasn’t been a world war in my lifetime, yet it seems we are always on the cusp of one. As various nations go after each other, we have to wonder which one of these events will lead to the “big one”. It’s so scary, isn’t it?

On days like this, when I don’t want to listen to the news, don’t want to know what is going on in the world or in our nation’s capital, I turn my fears over to God. All these things will happen in His time, He is the ultimate Commander in Chief.

Lord, God, Heavenly Father, let us put our trust in You. Let us lay our fears at Your feet. Guide those making decisions which will affect us all. And send Your Holy Spirit into the hearts of non-believers so that they can know Your peace. Amen