HOW TO DISCERN THE SEASON YOU ARE IN.

Estimated reading time: 11 minutes

The earth or at least some parts of it experiences different seasons: spring, summer, fall, and winter. The spiritual realm is no different. Ecclesiastes 3 almost sounds like an oxymoron. This book shows several seasons that are on one end of the spectrum with their counterparts on the other end of the spectrum. Seasons to rejoice and seasons to mourn, a season for peace and a season of war, etc. It gives us the entire picture of life here on earth. To help us discern the season we are in we need to discern the importance of discernment. What is the importance of discern the season you are in?

Why is it vital to discern the season you are in?

• It helps you know the strategies to use in the season you are in, therefore, giving you clarity. E.g sowing when it is time for planting and reaping when it is time. If you don’t know the season to sow in, you will have nothing to reap when harvest time comes. Also, when you lack discernment, you will end up missing what God is doing in your current season and what He wants to do in your next one.
• It also helps you know the skills needed. You cannot act the same way when you are in the waiting season as you would in the promised land. The Israelites, while in the wilderness, lived differently than when they were in Canaan. Had they not advanced and conquered their enemies, they would never have gained possession of their promise. However, while in the wilderness, all they had to do was to survive and trust in God to fight for them. Different strategies for different levels. Read this if you want to know if you are out of your wilderness season.

The same happens in the New Testament with Jesus in one chapter giving His disciples instructions not to carry anything as they evangelized, And then a few chapters later He told them to carry their swords and purses. We can be tempted to think that Jesus is contradicting Himself. But on closer look, we see that the seasons in the 2 chapters are different. In case 1, it was a season of peace, and in case 2 a season of war.

The key lesson to learn here is that God will give us different instructions for different seasons, and just because something works now does not mean it will work in the future. Doing the same process repeatedly causes one to be rigid, yet the Bible tells us we should be flexible enough to move when God tells us to. If we are not careful, we can end up making a process an idol forgetting the source.

Following the example of Jesus, we see He used different techniques when healing the blind, In one instance, He spat on the ground, made clay with the saliva, then applied the clay to the blind man. http://bible.us/1/jhn9.6,7.esv yet in another He just tells the man to go His way, His faith had made him well. http://bible.us/1/mrk8.22,23,24,25.esv

How then can you discern the season? What signs will help you discern a change in the season you are in?

Discomfort will help you discern the season.

When you find yourself uncomfortable in places that once brought you peace, that is a sign that you are in a new season. Before God can take you to a higher level, He has to do a bit of shaking and if you are sensitive enough, you will recognize His doing. The shaking does not have to be major, sometimes it is an impression in your spirit that tells you that your time is up in a certain place. Other times it is through dreams or even unnecessary disagreements with the surrounding people. You can even experience a fallout in relationships that seemed stable. These are just some signs that can help you understand the season.

When Elijah was in the wilderness being fed by a raven and drinking from the brook, he was comfortable. But God had to make him uncomfortable by allowing the brook to dry. Had the brook not dried, Elijah would have never left the wilderness. God made it uncomfortable for Him. Has God allowed a well to fry? Have there been shaking and discomfort in your comfort zone? Have you had disagreements with people you thought you never would? Maybe you are experiencing discomfort in your workplace. Could it be that God is telling you something? Could it be that God is trying to show you that you are in a different season and that what worked before will not work now? Is God redirecting you?

Sometimes discomfort could come as unfulfilment. When the things that used to bring you fulfillment don’t anymore, it could mean that God is trying to show you that you are in a new season. An example would be something as simple as not finding fulfillment in watching Netflix or as complex as not being fulfilled in your current career. When God is shifting you, He will allow you to experience discomfort. And when you are sensitive enough, you will understand the season you are in.

Former strategies not working.

When strategies that were effective before become ineffective, God is telling you your season has shifted. You cannot use the same weapons to fight powerful giants that you used to fight the weaker ones. New level, new strategies. Have you had things stop working that used to work before? Maybe it is your prayer life, maybe after prayer, you are not getting the same peace you used to get. Or maybe it could be that the effort you used to put into something is not yielding the same results. Either way, when whatever used to work does not work now it could be a sign that you are in a different season.

This also applies in our spiritual lives, you cannot pray the same way you prayed in moments of peace when you are experiencing warfare. You need to adjust your prayer life according to the seasons. Maybe you need to fast or spend more time in prayer than you used to before. Either way, the Holy Spirit will guide you if you ask Him. You can even ask Him to give you the gift of discernment. We can’t all have the gift of discernment, but it does no harm to ask.

Desire for change

When you get to the point where you desire to experience something new, it could be a sign that you are in a new season. Maybe you’ve been feeling like you need to start a new hobby or even make a shift in your career. It could even be something as drastic as changing locations. Whatever change you might be feeling led to make could be a sign that there is a new season. Again, this could be triggered by the fact that what worked before is not working now. If you experience any of these, God could be trying to show you that you are in a new season and it is time for you to embrace it.

There are moments in life when God gives us a desire for change that is so strong for us to resist. And when this happens, it is a clear sign you are in a new season. Have you ever woken up in the morning and known that something had to change? Are you tired of doing the same things repeatedly? This is a sign that you are in a new season.

Once the desire for change, sets in, you will make the arrangements to accommodate the new season by making room for the new. You could even learn a new skill or just be open to new ways of doing things. You could even desire to pray at different times and in different ways too. Being led to do things differently will cause us to learn different ways. And be open enough to embrace new things. Growth occurs when we willingly let go of what we know. This will help us embrace what God is trying to teach us.

God always takes us from glory to glory. But for us to experience the new level of glory, we have to be flexible enough for the new. Recognize that your comfort zone is your limitation.

Practical keys that will help us discern the season you are in.

• Discernment is a gift from the Holy Spirit. The good thing is that it is available to you, should you need it. The Holy Spirit gave the sons of Issachar the ability to discern the times, and God wants to give you the same. In the tribe of Issachar, there were 200 leaders of the tribe with their relatives. All these men understood the signs of the times and knew the best course for Israel to take. (1 Chronicles 12:32). If like the sons of Issachar, you want to know the season so that you can know the strategy to use, then you should ask the Holy Spirit to give you the gift of discernment.
• Prayer- Did you know that power is a powerful weapon that will help you understand the season you are in? Often we can easily get distracted because we live in a microwave era where we think everything should happen instantly. This, however, is not how God operates. God usually has timelines, and He always has a set time for when things should happen. God gave Abraham a promise which was fulfilled 25 years later. And it was through Abraham’s communion with God that he could understand that his season of fulfillment was drawing near because God appeared to him in his 24th year of waiting to tell him that his son Isaac would be born the following year. While in prayer, God will reveal to you the season you are in and even the season you are headed into. Instead of worrying, it would be best to just turn to God and ask Him. Getting clarity through prayer will give you patience in your waiting season. In 1 Samuel chapter 30, it was in prayer that David got the green light to pursue, overtake, and recover. There are moments God will tell you to hold on but there comes a time when your portion is the advancement and unless you have a relationship with Him and are prayerful, you might miss it. So allow prayer to be a key part of your life.
• Reading the Bible- Daniel could discern that the season of exile and captivity was over for them and He knew that through reading the Bible. You know the Bible has specific principles and keys that help us learn the season and know when it is time to advance. And when reading the Bible, you will know the keys required to help you advance or even what to do as you wait. It is through reading the word that you will discern the season. After all, the Bible says that there is nothing new under the sun.
• The prophetic- God says that He does nothing unless He reveals it to His people (Amos 3:7). And hearing the voice of God is key. There are prophets who have over the years learned to be sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit and, therefore, can hear when God is speaking. Through them, you can discern the season. You need to test the spirit to know if it comes from God or not, but that is also a sign you can hear from God and discern the times.
• Solitude- It is in silence that the mysteries of the world are revealed. When you learn to embrace the silence and stillness of the soul, you can easily hear God’s voice as He reveals to you the times you are in.

Conclusion

If you want to maximize every season, it is important to know the season you are in. This will give you the clarity to know the strategies to use to excel in your season. This will only happen when you have a relationship with God. And when you submit to His ways and His leading. Jesus gave us the precious Holy Spirit to help us discern the season through His gift of discernment. Instead of going about life blind, just follow the leading of the Holy Spirit, pray and read your Bible.

• HOW TO DISCERN IMMINENT DELIVERANCE!
• How To Discern The Seasons And Times.
• Stop Struggling in Your Wilderness Season Now.
• WHAT WILL YOU DO WHEN GOD CHALLENGES YOUR BELIEFS?
• 4 Unique Characteristics of God’s Redirection.

All these will help you gain clarity and, in turn, excel in your season. The bottom line is, seasons and times change. If we want to always come out victorious, we need to be in God’s will. And ask for His guidance at all times. Behold, God is doing a new thing, can you perceive it?