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Last week we gave away our old truck. You may have seen it parked in the parking lot. It's a big, bronze-coloured Chevrolet truck with a green canopy. It's belonged to us for over 22 years, and it's served us well. But it came time to give it away. It's gone to a farm in Alberta where I know it will be looked after.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-11 is a famous passage that speaks about there being a time for everything. Listen to these words.

There's a time for everything and a season for every activity under the heavens. 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 tear 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 scatter stones and a time to gather them. A time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing. A time to search and a time to give up. A time to keep and a time to throw away. 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 do workers gain from their toil? I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart. Yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.

Ecclesiastes 3:6 speaks of a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away. It was time for us to pass the truck to somebody else.

Ecclesiastes 3 is a reflection upon the sovereignty of God. God is Lord overall. He knows all things and he has put everything in its time and place.

We cannot always understand God’s timing. As this passage says, he's put eternity in our hearts and no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. But we're reminded to keep our focus on him. He is sovereign and all things will fulfill his purpose.

Maybe today you have something to give up or something to repair. Maybe there’s someone to embrace or someone to mourn. Maybe it's time to laugh or build or heal. All these fit into God's sovereign plan. And with our eyes fixed upon him, even though we do not always understand the times we face, the Lord is in charge. He knows all things.

May the Lord bless you as you go through these days looking to him as the Sovereign Lord.

Let's pray.

O Lord God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, we thank you that you are the sovereign God, the Lord of time, the Lord of history, and that all things are held in your hand. We thank you, Lord, that you are the beginning and the end; that you are the eternal One who is beyond time and yet make yourself known within time through Jesus to set us free.

We pray for ourselves and for those we know who today maybe facing difficult times and do not understand what they're going through or why. Lord, may they find peace and comfort in you, the sovereign God, for you have a time for all things.

So, help us to trust you, to put our faith in you, to lean into your grace and your love, and to rest in you. For we know that through Jesus' death and resurrection, we have life and this life is life for time and eternity . We praise you in the name of Jesus. Amen.

May the Lord bless you as he leads you along the paths he has for you. May you trust him. May you know he's with you. He is the God of all time.

視頻大意翻譯 (video Chinese translation):

 嗨。

上星期我們把舊卡車給人了，你可能見過它停在停車場。這是部有綠色後箱蓋的銅色大型雪佛蘭卡車。它跟著我們超過22年了，它把我們服侍得很好，但是時候給人了。它將被送到阿爾伯特省的一個農場，我知道新主人會好好照顧它。

傳道書三章是一段著名的經文，它談到萬事都有個時間。請聽:

凡事都有定期，天下每一事務都有定時。生有時，死有時；栽種有時，拔出有時；殺戮有時，醫治有時；拆毀有時，建造有時；哭有時，笑有時；哀慟有時，跳舞有時； 丟石頭有時，撿石頭有時；懷抱有時，不抱有時；尋找有時，失落有時；保存有時，拋棄有時； 撕裂有時，縫補有時；
沉默有時，說話有時；喜愛有時，恨惡有時；戰爭有時，和平有時。 這樣，做事的人在他所勞碌的事上得到甚麼益處呢？  我觀看　神給世人的擔子，使他們在其中勞苦：神造萬物，各按其時成為美好，又將永恆安放在世人心裏；然而　神從始至終的作為，人不能測透。 

傳道書三章說到”尋找有時，失落有時；保存有時，拋棄有時。”是我們要把貨車傳給別人的時候了。

傳道書 3 章是對神主權的反思。上帝是萬有的主。祂知道一切，祂把萬有都放在它的時間和地點。

我們無法總能理解神的時間。就如這段經文說的，”又將永恆安放在世人心裏；然而　神從始至終的作為，人不能測透。”  但這也提醒我們專注於祂。祂是萬物的主宰，萬物並將 實現祂的目的。

或許今天你有些事情需要放棄或修復。或有某人你要擁抱或哀悼。或許是個歡笑，或建造，或醫治的時候。這些全都符合神主宰的計畫。將我們的眼睛定睛於祂，雖然我們不一定總能理解我們面對的，但主掌權。祂知道一切。

當你定睛於祂是主宰的主時，願神祝福你。

讓我們禱告。

喔，主神、聖父、聖子和聖靈，我們感謝你，因你是主宰的神，時間的主、歷史的主、萬事都掌握在你手中。我們感謝你，主!你是始你是終；主啊!你是永恆遠超過時間的那位，但你透過耶穌讓我們認識你，並釋放我們得自由。

我們為我們自己和那些我們認識，今天或許正面對困難的人禱告。主啊! 願他們在你裡面找到平安和安慰，你是主宰的神，萬事在你裡面都有定時。

幫助我們認識你，相信你，倚靠你的恩典和愛，並在你裡面享安息。因為我們知道透過耶穌的死和復活，我們有了生命，而且是永恆的生命。奉耶穌的名我們讚美你。阿們。

當主帶領你走祂為你準備的這條路時，願祂祝福你。願你信靠祂，知道祂與你同在。祂是永遠的主。

Grace and peace
Pastor Callum