He has made everything beautiful in its time.
Also, he has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God's gift to man.
I perceived that whatever God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it. God has done it, so that people fear before him. That which is, already has been; that which is to be, already has been; and God seeks what has been driven away. Ecclesiastes 3:11-15 (ESV)
Who is God?
He has made everything beautiful in its time.
He has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he (man) cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.
Whatever God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it.
God has done it, so that people fear before him.
That which is, already has been; that which is to be, already has been; and God seeks what has been driven away. (the KJV makes this clearer to understand: "That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; and God requireth that which is past.")
What does God desire of us?
That there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God's gift to man.
That people fear before him.
Everything made by God is beautiful.
Yet we look around and see that not everything is beautiful.
Our lives are tainted with sin - everything that is ugly, dark, painful as well as our self-centerness and the things that take our minds away from God are all the result of sin.
But there is still beauty. Whether it be tender love given by another person or a magnificent sight of God's creation or the many other ways that cause you to marvel, ponder, and smile, there is beauty.
God has not left us alone, His beauty is sprinkled throughout our lives and world. He reveals just enough about Himself that we can begin to understand that He is clearly not like us. This understanding frees us from the many lies about God that penetrate our mind and world. His Providence and Sovereign control over everything frees us from the woes of this world bringing us hope and confidence knowing that for all who love God all things work together for the good, for those who are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).
Knowing God, His character, His Attributes - all of this reveals His beauty in increasingly vibrant ways bringing us closer to how God created us before sin entered the world, thus making it possible for us to exceedingly enjoy God's gift to us.
"that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God's gift to man."
