Steve Lyston | When seasons change

When governing a nation, a business or even in carrying out our daily individual tasks, times and seasons are critical to everything we do. 

It is very foolish for anyone to operate without seeking divine intervention and understand how and when to build.  Regardless of what we do, we must be in alignment with heaven and operate accordingly.  We need to know what heaven requires in a particular season.  For example, the bible, in Ecclesiastes 3, speaks of 14 sets of opposing times and seasons, and Genesis 8:22 also speaks of six specific seasons that are critical for economic growth and development, which are guides for the implementation of different strategies and plans within nations. These are: seed-time- from the middle of October to the middle of December; winter- from the middle of December to the middle of February; cold- from the middle of February to the middle of April; harvest- from the middle of April to the middle of June; summer- from the middle of June to the middle of August; heat- from the middle of August to the middle of October.

Those who do marketing, sales and forecasting would do well to take note of these things or they may miss key successes.  

The seasons are now changing rapidly, things are not the same as before.  So where you would try to do things, or make decisions using a certain time frame to which you are accustomed, if you should do that now you can get blown out of the water.  It is the same for political leaders.

Leaders must apply strategies to suit circumstances

When times and seasons change, priorities must change, themes must change, mindsets must change and as such strategies must change.  Even the way we eat and how we attire ourselves must change.  If the Republican Party understood times and seasons they would not lose the House.  Both grace and favour come with the changes, and when the change happens you must be in sync with what is happening. We must be in God’s will, instead of our own. 

Daniel 2:21 says “And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding.”  It is key for political leaders to have advisers who understand times and seasons to keep them in line to maintain the favour of God.  I wrote an article a while back in which I stated that President Trump should fire his evangelical advisers.  Likewise, if Prime Minister Holness does not change his advisers and his priorities, he will miss the mark. 

There are many leaders who tend to manage using various methods for their decision-making.  Some use polls, others use algebra, some use research, while some focus on SWOT analyses, Statistical data and the PEST analysis.

All these will mean nothing if we continue on the current trend.  Leaders brag about who is the best to manage at certain levels.  Academic qualifications alone will not cut it. We need to seek God now for the small things and the big things. Remember Joshua 7 and Joshua 9.  First, Joshua did not seek the Lord before he established an allegiance /covenant.  Second, he did not search the camp to see what his leaders were doing.

Preparing the nation for shocks 

Also, just as in Revelation 6, many are speaking about managing the economy and which leaders are better able to deal with inflation. How will nations deal with the four horses: the white horse, the black horse, the pale horse and the red horse that will impact negatively on nations?  For example, we should freeze borrowing from international lenders and begin to build within. 

The white horse is a symbol of international politics, power and military conquest – deception.  The red horse is the symbol of civil war and strife ahead.  The black horse is a symbol of economic disruption, famine, inflation and scarcity.  The pale horse a symbol of global disease, disaster and death.  So how do we prepare as a nation? 

Many countries will come to us as if they are saviours – offering loans and expertise, when in fact they are coming to take what is ours for themselves, and this is why we need to understand times and seasons.