Every birthday, much like New Year’s Eve, we pause to reflect on the past year, our successes, and failures, what we did well, and what did not get done. Sometimes we beat ourselves up over the “shoulda, woulda, coulda’s” of this world, not understanding that, according to God’s spiritual laws, we are exactly where we are supposed to be at this time. Imagine what heartache and anxiety we would avoid if we just understood the concept of times and seasons.
In Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, we are introduced to what is commonly known as the Law of Temporary.
“There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:2 a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot,
3 a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build,
4 a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
6 a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away,
7 a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak,
8 a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.”
No matter what situation we are going through right now, it is temporary. Much like it cannot be Summer in Canada, twelve months of the year, our situations change like the four seasons. But we need to have the wisdom to spiritually discern the times and the seasons. Because this will determine our successes or our failures. We must always be conscious of not going ahead of Holy Spirit. Timing is everything. We can be the right person, with the right credentials, the right job, the right connections but we can fail miserably at a task because it is not the right time or the right season. In as much as we will not wear flip flops during a winter storm and a winter jacket in the middle of Summer, we must have the spiritual acuity to discern spiritual times. Hosea says that my people perish because of lack of knowledge, and we must not fall prey to the enemy whose sole mission is to abort our destiny. He knows that we are God’s beloved and have a specific mandate to fulfill. Sometimes, it is too bad that we do not seem to believe that too.
So, we must guard ourselves against complaining about our current situations. God is doing great work in us, and we must trust that He knows best. We can ask Him to reveal the secrets to us according to His will. The Bible is very clear in
“For promotion comes neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. 7 But God is the judge: he puts down one and sets up another.”
Psalm 75:6-7
If everyone in your family is gossiping about you, just recognize that you are in the season of gossip. So, you go to your Bible and decree and declare what God says about you in these situations. Do not waste time trying to prove your innocence or fighting back in the flesh. Just recognize the season and allow Holy Spirit to guide you through it, with His knowledge and wisdom. Just be faithful in your walk, continue to look up, do not judge no matter what is going on, and have faith in God (these are all hard to do sometimes). If He says to bless them, do so.
If we change our perspective, we will see the annoying co-workers, the rebellious children, whatever, is God’s way of preparing us for another level, something bigger and better for His kingdom. It could just be to take us higher to a new level of spiritual maturity. Whatever we are going through right now, will be used in the next level. We must fully believe that He knows best. We take it in stride and ask Holy Spirit, “how do I pray during this season?” We must go through the whole assignment, learn the lessons, and pass the test. We do not want to be going around any mountain for 40 years. This is how God will be glorified through our victories, small and big. If God is for us, who can possibly be against us?
You are alive right now, in this time and this season and this is not an accident. God is not surprised that you are still here. Is he shocked that Trudeau is PM of Canada? Is he flustered that Russia and Ukraine are at war? Did Covid-19 take Him completely off-guard? Is he trembling, cowering in a corner at what is coming next? If the answer to any of these questions is yes, then He is not God, because our Bible says differently. See Psalm 75:6-7.
I cannot stress enough that we need to learn how to discern times and seasons. We need to develop a strong relationship with Holy Spirit and ask Him to tell us what our purpose is in these times that we are living in. What unique thing does he want us to do for Him? When? How? Where? With whom? Why? Do not be scared to ask questions. Do not think that because your sole mission is that God wants you to dance around your bedroom for 20 minutes, it’s insignificant. Do you know that by this simple act of obedience, you probably broke the shackles binding the next Billy Graham? Little you, in Tyendinaga. No TV cameras, no stadium crowds, just you in your bedroom. A willing heart. We must take our positions, but we need to seek Him in earnest so that we will know our mission plainly. And take that step of faith.
Prayer
“Heavenly Father, please give us the anointing to discern times, seasons, and judgments. Help us to walk hand in hand with Jesus and to submit fully to Holy Spirit, who leads us into all truth. You, who are the author and finisher of our faith, who knows the beginning from the end, help us to trust you because you want us to have a future and a hope and an expected end. In the midst of the fire, we will continue to give you a sacrifice of praise. Give us a double dose of faith to navigate these times. We thank you that you have ordained us to be alive NOW to impact your kingdom here on earth. Thank you for choosing us and equipping us. Thank you for your mercy and your grace, in Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.”
Laura Wilfred