Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. 2 Timothy 4:2
The words of the apostle Paul to the young Timothy points makes it clear that it is always the right time to hear the Word of God, whether relevant in a particular season or not. The Bible is packed with words that nourish our inner man; whatever your situation might be, there is a Word for it!
While everything in the Bible is wholesome, nothing compares to a Word in season that is relevant to current circumstances. It is almost impossible for a heart burdened with questions to listen to information that has little to no meaning for the present. Thank God for that “now-Word,” the logos that turns into rhema at a point of need that speaks so clearly of God’s care for His own. It is almost as if it brings the full attention of the Creator of the universe into the life of a single person, with all that He is and have. That is our God!
A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver. Proverbs 25:11
As the world undergoes major changes, we find ourselves in a season when there is great need for a relevant message from God. We have entered a time in the history of mankind that the Bible has much to say about, and that must now be made known loud and clear. Far too many people, Christians included, have a linear view of life, oblivious of the immense changes that are taking place in our world. It would be dangerously negligent not to draw their attention to God’s specific message for this time.
Connecting the dots between Scripture and the daily news may not be for everyone, but because it is so important, God posted watchmen on the walls everywhere to sound the alarm. One just has to listen to political leaders’ mantra that life will not return to what it was before Covid-19, to know that big changes are ahead. A “new normal” awaits us. This crisis is a golden opportunity for global power brokers to further their ambitions for a single government to deal with perceived global threats. Bold power-grabs are happening in various jurisdictions with ridiculous rules and regulations that make no sense at all, only to give life to frustrations and anger that nobody needs. Failure to understand the bigger picture can spawn some dangerous anxieties, but truth spoken in season calms all fears.
This new normal requires a new approach, especially for Christians. For those who are spiritually alert it is obvious that something is percolating behind the scenes. It goes without saying that the new normal will come with increasingly fewer freedoms. The church – the fellowship of called-out ones – will have to reinvent itself to remain effective in its mission: if we fail to be innovative, decisions will be made for us. For that reason we must muster up the faith and courage to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit as He faithfully did through centuries of ever changing political landscapes. There is no reason to fear the unknown when we trust Him!
Things won’t get better in the world, but we look at it with a different perspective. Hopelessness and frustration prepare hearts and minds everywhere to open up to our testimony of hope and peace in the Lord.
It is not popular to talk about the difficulties that are now appearing on the horizon; it is, so to speak, the elephant in the church: everybody can see what is happening, but nobody wants to talk about it. Let us have the courage of Noah who endured strong resistance while warning those in his day of a yet unknown catastrophe that was about to come upon them. Those around you depend on you!
There is so much that we need to pray and talk about as we begin to run the last laps of this race. God wrote about this period of time in great detail to guide us through the deception that is so prevalent in our day.
- Be aware
- Be informed
- Only the truth sets you free and keeps you free
- Understand the season
- Context matters
But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. 1 Thessalonians 5:1-6
Tailored answers to questions are words in season. If you want me to explore a topic about the time that we live in, please drop me a line and I will look for Biblical answers to it. Your privacy will be respected.
