Day 245: He Makes Everything Beautiful...In Its Time

Welcome to Day 245 of the Bible 365 Podcast! I'm so excited you are joining me on this journey through the entire Bible this year. Reminder that each episode in 2026 will have a brand new devotional.

Today we'll be reading through Ecclesiastes 1-3; 2 Corinthians 6:1-13; Psalm 46; and Proverbs 22:15. Invite a family member or friend to join you as we grow in our knowledge of God through His Word.

I'm so glad that you are here!

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Welcome to day 245 of the Bible 365 podcast. My name is Randy Gudo and today we're going to be reading through Ecclesiastes chapters 1 through 3, 2 Corinthians chapter 6, verses 1 through 13, Psalm 46, and Proverbs chapter 22, verse 15. The translation I'm using throughout this podcast is the Berean Standard Bible, also known as the BSB. Let's read. Ecclesiastes chapter 1. These are the words of the teacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem. Futility of futilities, says the teacher. Futility of futilities. Everything is futile. What does a man gain from all his labor at which he toils under the sun? Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever. The sun rises and the sun sets. It hurries back to where it rises. The wind blows southward, then turns northward, round and round it swirls, ever returning on its course. All the rivers flow into the sea, yet the sea is never full. To the place from which the streams come, there again they flow. All things are wearisome, more than one can describe. The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear content with hearing. What has been will be again, and what has been done will be done again. There is nothing new under the sun. Is there a case where one can say, Look, this is new? It has already existed in the ages before us. There is no remembrance of those who came before, and those yet to come will not be remembered by those who follow after. I, the teacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem, and I set my mind to seek and explore by wisdom all that is done under heaven. What a miserable task God has laid upon the sons of men to occupy them. I have seen all the things that are done under the sun, and have found them all to be futile, of pursuit of the wind. What is crooked cannot be straightened, and what is lacking cannot be counted. I said to myself, Behold, I have grown and increased in wisdom beyond all those before me who were over Jerusalem, and my mind has observed a wealth of wisdom and knowledge. So I set my mind to know wisdom and madness and folly. I learned that this too is a pursuit of the wind. For with much wisdom comes much sorrow, and as knowledge grows, grief increases. Ecclesiastes chapter 2. I said to myself, Come now, I will test you with pleasure, enjoy what is good, but it proved to be futile. I said of laughter, it is folly, and of pleasure, what does it accomplish? I sought to cheer my body with wine and to embrace folly, my mind still guiding me with wisdom, until I could see what was worthwhile for men to do under heaven during the few days of their lives. I expanded my pursuits, I built houses and planted vineyards for myself. I made gardens and parks for myself, where I planted all kinds of fruit trees. I built reservoirs to water my groves of flourishing trees. I acquired men servants and maidservants, and servants were born in my house. I also owned more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem before me, and I accumulated for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces. I gathered to myself male and female singers, and the delights of the sons of men, many concubines. So I became great and surpassed all in Jerusalem who had preceded me, and my wisdom remained with me. Anything my eyes desired, I did not deny myself. I refused my heart no pleasure. For my heart took delight in all my work, and this was the reward for all my labor. Yet when I considered all the works that my hands had accomplished and what I had toiled to achieve, I found everything to be futile, a pursuit of the wind. There was nothing to be gained under the sun. Then I turned to consider wisdom and madness and folly. For what more can the king's successor do than what has already been accomplished? And I saw that wisdom exceeds folly, just as light exceeds darkness. The wise man has eyes in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. Yet I also came to realize that one fate overcomes them both. So I said to myself, The fate of the fool will also befall me. What then have I gained by being wise? And I said to myself that this too is futile. For there is no lasting remembrance of the wise, just as with the fool, seeing that both will be forgotten in the days to come. Alas, the wise man will die just like the fool. So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me. For everything is futile and a pursuit of the wind. I hated all for which I had toiled under the sun, because I must leave it to the man who comes after me, and who knows whether that man will be wise or foolish? Yet he will take over all the labor at which I have worked skillfully under the sun. This too is futile. So my heart began to despair over all the labor that I had done under the sun. When there is a man who has labored with wisdom, knowledge, and skill, and he must give his portion to a man who has not worked for it, this too is futile and a great evil. For what does a man get for all the toil and striving with which he labors under the sun? Indeed, all his days are filled with grief, and his task is sorrowful. Even at night his mind does not rest. This too is futile. Nothing is better for a man than to eat and drink and enjoy his work. I have also seen that this is from the hand of God. For apart from him, who can eat and who can find enjoyment? To the man who is pleasing in his sight, he gives wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to the sinner he assigns the task of gathering and accumulating that which he will hand over to one who pleases God. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind. Ecclesiastes chapter 3. To everything there is a season and 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 uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to break down and a time to build, 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 together, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, a time to search and a time to count as lost, a time to keep and a time to discard, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace. What does the worker gain from his toil? I have seen the burden that God has laid upon the sons of men to occupy them. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men, yet they cannot fathom the work that God has done from beginning to end. I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice and do good while they live, and also that every man should eat and drink and find satisfaction in all his labor. This is the gift of God. I know that everything God does endures forever. Nothing can be added to it or taken from it. God does it so that they should fear him. What exists has already been, and what will be has already been, for God will call to account what has passed. Furthermore, I saw under the sun that in the place of judgment there is wickedness, and in the place of righteousness there is wickedness. I said in my heart, God will judge the righteous and the wicked, since there is a time for every activity and every deed. I said to myself, As for the sons of men, God tests them so that they may see for themselves that they are but beast. For the fates of both men and beast are the same. As one dies, so dies the other, they all have the same breath. Man has no advantage over the animals, since everything is futile. All go to one place, all come from dust, and all return to dust. Who knows if the spirit of man rises upward and the spirit of the animal descends into the earth? I have seen that there is nothing better for a man than to enjoy his work, because that is his lot, for who can bring him to see what will come after him? 2 Corinthians chapter 6 verses 1 through 13. As God's fellow workers then, we urge you not to receive God's grace in vain, for he says, In the time of favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you. Behold, now is the time of favor, now is the day of salvation. We put no obstacles in anyone's way, so that no one can discredit our ministry. Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way, in great endurance, in troubles, hardships and calamities, in beatings, imprisonments and riots, in labor, sleepless nights and hunger, in purity, knowledge, patience and kindness, in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love, in truthful speech and in the power of God, with the weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left, through glory and dishonor, slander and praise, viewed as impostors yet genuine, unknown, yet well known, dying, and yet we live on, punished, yet not killed, sorrowful, yet always rejoicing, poor, yet making many rich, having nothing, and yet possessing everything. We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians. Our hearts are open wide. It is not our affection, but yours that is restrained. As a fair exchange, I speak as to my children. Open wide your hearts also. Psalm 46. God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in times of trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth is transformed and the mountains are toppled into the depths of the seas, though their waters roar and foam and the mountains quake in the surge. Selah. There is a river whose streams delight the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. God is within her, she will not be moved. God will help her when morning dawns. Nations rage, kingdoms crumble, the earth melts when he lifts his voice. The Lord of hosts is with us. The God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah. Come, see the works of the Lord, who brings devastation upon the earth. He makes wars to cease throughout the earth. He breaks the bow and shatters the spear. He burns the shields in the fire. Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations. I will be exalted over the earth. The Lord of hosts is with us. The God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah. Proverbs twenty two, verse fifteen. Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline drives it far from him. Today's devotional is coming from Ecclesiastes chapter three, verses nine through eleven. You know, I've heard the first sentence in verse eleven quoted so many times in my life, that God makes everything beautiful in its time, but we really need to read it in the context here. We're going to read verses nine through eleven. What does the worker gain from his toil? I have seen the burden that God has laid upon the sons of men to occupy them. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men, yet they cannot fathom the work that God has done from beginning to end. In the NLT it says, He has placed eternity in the human heart. But even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God's work from beginning to end. Now, when we go to the beginning of this passage right here, where it says, I have seen the burden that God has laid upon the sons of men to occupy them. Sometimes in life, you know, we experience burdens. You know, things go sideways, and we're like, why did this just happen? You know, why did everything just crumble? One day you're on the mountaintop, then the next thing you know, you tripped on that mountaintop and you rolled all the way down that mountain into a very deep valley, and it's filled with all kinds of rocks and crevices and even holes, and you know, you get up dusting yourself off, and you're like, why? Why is this happening? And the problem with us, many times as mere humans, is that we do not see beginning to end. God sees the end from the beginning. And, you know, we don't understand when you're in the midst of toil, you know, when you are under those heavy burdens. I have seen the burden that God has laid upon the sons of men to occupy them. Yet, in the middle of this right here, from beginning to end of our lives for sure, God takes all those things in your life. He takes all those situations, and you know what he does? He makes everything, not some things, everything. I want you to really think about this right now. He has made everything beautiful in its time. And I do believe that we'll get to the end of our life. And if you're walking with the Lord, I hope you can be able to see this. You'll look back and realize maybe the times of failures, maybe the times where you've really screwed up, maybe the times where something took you by surprise that you had nothing to do with, and it it set you back, and you thought, how will I ever recover from this? Or how do I explain this? Even tragedy. And I believe you'll be able to look back and say, Oh my goodness, what I thought was absolute defeat, what I thought was my life being over with as I knew it. Somehow God made everything beautiful in its time. It won't be on your time frame, but in his time frame, God makes everything beautiful. You know, there's really a lot that I could say, but I just want to leave you with this today, and I want you to contemplate this. I want you to think about this today prayerfully, and thank the Lord for the life that he has given you, even with all the burdens, because we know we can trust that no matter how burdensome it is, he is going to make everything beautiful in its time. Let's pray. Father, I come to you in the name of Jesus, and today I lift up all of our listeners because I know that every single one of them, all of us, are either in a place where we're experiencing some burdens, or we have had some pretty serious burdens, or we can look and see, oh my goodness, it seems like we're about to come into some difficult places soon. I thank you that you make everything beautiful in its time. My prayer is that every listener right now would be encouraged as they know that you are with them, walking with them from their beginning to their end. Draw us close by the presence of your Holy Spirit and reveal your Son to us. We ask all these things in the precious name of Jesus. Amen. Well, I sure hope you enjoyed today's devotional. If you're getting something out of the Bible 365 podcast, consider sharing it with your family and with your friends. Please continue to pray for me. I am praying for you. Have a great day, and I'll see you tomorrow with day two forty six.