There are times and seasons for everything, and every one of them is determined by God (Eccl. 3:1). As believers, we understand that life is more than what we see with our physical eyes. We know that the spiritual governs the physical, and because of this, we must learn to discern the season God has brought us into.
There is a season for sowing, a season for watering and waiting, and a season for harvest. A farmer who plants during harvest season may never reap a harvest, and one who harvests when he should still be watering will gather fruit before it has matured. In the same way, many believers become frustrated not because God has forgotten them, but because they misunderstand the season they are in.
Throughout Scripture, God did not always give the same instruction. There were seasons when He told His people to move and fight (Jos. 6:2–5), seasons when He commanded them to stand still and watch Him work (Exo. 14:13–14; 2 Chr. 20:17), and seasons when He simply called them to trust His promise while they waited (Gen. 15:4–6). Every season had an instruction to follow. Knowing the times and seasons God has brought you into helps you discern whether to move, wait, fight, or simply trust Him.
Therefore, recognizing your season is only the beginning. You must also know what God requires of you in that season. Every season demands a different kind of wisdom. The sons of Issachar “had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do”(1 Chr. 12:32 NKJV). They not only recognized the season; they also knew the right response to it.
When Pharaoh dreamed that Egypt would experience seven years of abundance followed by seven years of famine (Gen. 41), Joseph, filled with the Spirit of God, understood both the season and the appropriate response. He did not call the nation to pray that God would reverse the revelation. Neither did he ask them to make sacrifices in hopes that God would change His mind. Instead, wisdom instructed them to prepare. Grain was stored during the years of abundance so there would be enough during the years of famine.
That wisdom not only preserved Egypt, but also became the means by which God preserved Jacob and his household. It became the catalyst that brought Joseph into the destiny God had prepared for him. Discerning the season was important. Knowing what to do in that season was even more important.
Every season is appointed by God, and every season requires wisdom to navigate. So do not merely ask, “Lord, what season am I in?” Also ask, “Lord, what should I be doing in this season?” The believer who understands both will walk with greater confidence and peace in the purposes of God.
Kairos means “God’s appointed time” or an “opportune moment.”
Crosswalk.com
Beyond recognizing seasons, we must also be sensitive to God’s appointed times—the kairos moments.
Jesus knew when the season of His crucifixion had arrived. After praying in Gethsemane, He told His disciples, “…see, My betrayer is at hand” (Matt. 26:46 NKJV). He understood not only what season He was in, but also that the appointed hour had come. Discernment is not merely knowing what God is doing; it is recognizing when He is doing it. In John 5 we see the story of the man at the pool of Bethesda. There was a season when healing was made available, but to access that healing, one had to enter the pool at a specific time. There was a season, yet within that season there was also a kairos moment—a specific opportunity that had to be recognized and embraced. Jesus expressed this thought over Jerusalem when He wept, saying, “They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.”(Lk. 19:44 NIV).
May God open our eyes to discern not only the season we are walking through, but also the kairos moments within, so that we do not allow divine opportunities to pass us by.
Through the prophet Isaiah, God declared, “Behold, I will do a new thing… Shall you not know it?”(Isa. 43:19 NKJV). “Are you not aware?” God’s question was not whether He would do something new; it was whether His people would perceive it. Would they recognize that an old season had ended and a new one had begun? Would they notice the rivers springing up in the desert and the roads being made through the wilderness?
One of the most difficult seasons to recognize is the season of transition. Transition often looks like things are getting worse before they become better. Yet many of God’s greatest works are preceded by uncomfortable transitions. Joseph received God’s promise through dreams, but before he reached the palace, he went from being a favored son to a servant, and from a servant to a prisoner. None of those seasons contradicted God’s promise; they were preparing him for it. The Israelites experienced something similar. Just before their deliverance from Egypt, Pharaoh increased their labor (Exo. 5:6–19). From a human perspective, it appeared that Moses had only made their lives harder. Yet what looked like deterioration was actually the final stage before their freedom.
This is why sensitivity to God’s voice is so important. If you understand that you are in a season of transition, you will not lose heart when circumstances appear to move in the opposite direction of God’s promise. You will remain steadfast, knowing that God is still working, even when the process is uncomfortable.
Jerusalem missed her appointed time. The man at Bethesda had to recognize his opportunity. Joseph understood his season. The sons of Issachar understood the times.
Seasons do not last forever. Times change, assignments change, and God’s instructions often change with them. The challenge is not simply to know that God is at work, but to remain close enough to Him to recognize what He is doing and how He is leading.
May we understand the seasons, discern the times, and recognize our appointed moments. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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