And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, andsetteth up kings: hegiveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding.
—Daniel 2:21
We must become sensitive and mature enough in the spirit that when God changes the times and seasons to which we are accustomed, we do not get angry or upset. We must move with what He is doing, not against it. We cannot change times and seasons. We cannot even rearrange them. We cannot hold them still because God raises up and brings down.
When Daniel found himself in captivity in Babylon, he knew it was God’s season for pruning rebellion and idolatry off His people through exile and life in a strange land. Yielding to the judgment as God told them to do would have allowed them to use the time of captivity for genuine repentance and changing of their ways. They could have been blessed in Babylon, and many were. (See Jeremiah 29:4-14.)
Whoso keepeth the commandment shall feel no evil thing: and a wise mans heart discerneth both time and judgment.
—Ecclesiastes 8:5
A wise man knows both the timing of God as well as the judgment of God. A foolish person knows neither. An immature Christian will cherish something beyond its time. A mature Christian will be joyful over change because it is according to God’s will. A mature Christian knows God never brings us down—no matter how it looks on the outside. He always brings those who love and serve Him up to a better place. God’s change is always for the best.