New Season - New Actions, New Postures, New Ways of Speaking

Last Sunday, the Word of God challenged us to step into a New Season. In tropical Singapore, we might not have the four seasons like the temperate regions, but even here we do have our monsoon seasons and durian seasons. We also have exam seasons and our school holiday seasons. Knowing the seasons matter, especially if you want to book a staycation, go on a cruise or have some fun at Universal Studios Singapore. There is a reason why they have off-peak and off-season pricing. Essentially to know the season is to know how to act. How to behave. How to make decisions that will minimise our costs and maximise our benefits.

It is not only vital to step into the New Season but to know what actions, behaviours and speech patterns to adopt. This was the simple truth given to us on Sunday. As we step into the New Season, don’t be dragged down by the Past or be stuck in the Present. The wisdom of this simple statement can be seen if we reflect on the relationship between actions and seasons. What is ok in one season, is not ok for another season. It’s ok to wear a rain coat during the monsoon season. But a rain coat on a hot day would cause a heat stroke. Similarly, some behaviours and words perfectly ok in present season. But if we continue to do them or speak in the same way, it would do harm to ourselves and the people around us.

In the history of God’s People, there were many different seasons - Israel under the rule of Egypt for 400 years where faithful suffering was the call; Israel in the Wilderness under God’s Divine Provision where faithful trust for all things was important; Israel in the Land where faithfulness and obedience to the Torah was important; and Israel in Exile, where learning to live faithful under foreign rule was the vocation. And in each of those seasons, different postures and actions and were of speaking were appropriate for each season.

So, what is the Season we are in and what behaviours are appropriate as we step into the New Season. Over the next few weeks, in Pastor’s Desk, I will be reflecting for us on the Season I believe the Holy Spirit is calling us as His People to be in. I believe there are certain postures, and behaviours and speech that must accompany our time. But on this day, as we step into our new beginning… let me exhort you to take seriously that we ARE in a New Season. And to consider - what personal postures and actions and speech MUST change? What are things that we have done in the past or even in the present, that might have been completely ok, but now must be checked and changed?

Sometimes, it’s tough to identify these things for ourselves. So let me encourage you to find a prayer partner or someone in your life group to discern together with you. May the Holy Spirit give us discernment, as we step into God’s New Season for us.