“Who is wise? Let them realize these things. Who is discerning? Let them understand. The ways of the Lord are right; the righteous walk in them, but the rebellious stumble in them.” Hosea 14:9 NIV
Do we discern or perceive the season we are in? Do we understand the purpose of it? Do we understand how to navigate through it? Do we clearly see who is to be a part of our season? If so, the more likely we are to get the most out of the season we are in.
As human beings, we don’t always recognize everything God is doing until we’re on the other side of it, but our greatest help in journeying though it is the Holy Spirit. He leads us through, sometimes one step at a time, lighting our path in a way that requires our dependency of faith.
Thank God for the Holy Spirit. Discernment isn’t always about our ability, but about His. Discernment is sometimes what we perceive, and other times, it is a gift from the Spirit Himself. He supernaturally opens our eyes and helps us to see what we need to know. It’s revelation to us.
If during our season, we miss the mark or feel we fail, the Holy Spirit uses the opportunity to help us to see something we didn’t see before, to learn, to strengthen, to grow. Nothing is wasted. The next time we go through something similar, we can have better discernment. People who have matured are people who have had experiences, successes and failures, from which they have learned.
To walk in discernment, we should take time to pull away from our doing, and ask God to give us that understanding. Each day, we should make room for meditation in God’s presence, getting quiet, allowing God to speak to our hearts. This way we can can better accomplish what God wants us to do in our season. I understand the pressure to accomplish tasks for other people, but if those tasks take us away from our time with God, we are making a big mistake.
When there is more than one person traveling in the same direction, discernment may only be given to the leader of the group. God is a God of authority, and faith in God requires submission to a chosen delegate to whom God gives insight. He gives insight to pastors for their churches, heads of ministry for their ministries, leaders for their communities, schools, businesses, families, and so on. If we are in a subordinate position, God will give us insight through the leaders we serve.
Application: If you don’t already, I encourage you to take time in the morning, before anything else, and sit with God for awhile. Meditate, and see what God shows you that you didn’t know before.