Discerning the Times

UV 2138/10000 Discerning the Seasons and Times
My times are in thy hand: deliver me from the hand of mine enemies, and from them that persecute me
Psalm 31 v 15

Nobody except the Lord knows what each day brings, not to speak of an entire week, month, season or year or lifetime. Our faith teaches us to trust the Lord for each day, each week, each month and year of our lives. Since we know the Lord personally for a certainty, we can combat a legion of uncertainties regarding our days and times. There are times in our lives when we are joyful, times when we are sad, times when we dreamt, times when we worked hard, times when we relaxed and enjoyed, times when we loved and times when we hated, times when we fought and times when we made peace, times when we were bored and times when we stayed engaged, times when we gave and times when we received, times we sowed and times we reaped. In all these times, the Lord held us in His able and gracious hands. During all these times He delivered us from the hand of our enemies. He reduced all their planning and conspiring to naught. He freed us from the presence and the power of those who persecute us.

The Lord manifests different aspects of His love for us and of His grace and power in the diverse seasons and times of our lives. He is Immanuel and is hence, our constant companion in all times- in fair weather and in storms. The extent to which we lean into His unseen but real presence and draw our sustenance and strength will determine the extent to which we experience His grace as Jehovah Nissi in being victorious in all circumstances.

We are to ask for wisdom to discern the times we are passing through and the grace to act accordingly. The Holy Spirit gives us the gift of discernment to know the hour in which we dwell. In some seasons, we are to rejoice, in some we are to listen, be silent and meditate more deeply on the truths the Lord is teaching us, in some we are to speak, in some we are to be strong and courageous, in some we are to be diligent and persevere, in some season we are to just wait and be patient for the Lord to act. At all times we are to be thankful and offer our praise and worship from grateful hearts. In each season, we need to get closer to the Lord and love Him even more than the last, retaining our first love when we first knew Him.

Prateep V Philip