Touré Roberts - Upgrade Season

The theme we’re going to explore today is called «Upgrade Season.» I believe in seasons, and I think that any wise person should adopt a seasoned mentality. The reason it’s important to have a seasoned mentality, first and foremost, is so you will know how to function and operate. There’s a passage of scripture that talks about the sons of Issachar and how they understood times and seasons and what Israel ought to do. The way this translates to us is that it’s crucial for us to know what season we’re in because doing the right thing in the wrong season is the wrong thing. Are you tracking with me?

It’s also important to have a seasoned mentality because trouble doesn’t last always. Sometimes, has anyone ever been in a crazy season where you thought, «Lord Jesus, if I have just five more minutes of this, I don’t even know if I can make it»? A seasoned mentality helps you understand that weeping may endure for a night, but joy is going to come in the morning. So, if you have a seasoned mentality, it helps you seek God properly and also not feel overwhelmed when crazy lasts for a long time. Remember, it’s just a season. If you’re going through something, I want you to put it in the chat or the feed and just say, «It’s just a season. It’s just a season.»

As I was seeking the Lord about what to discuss, I realized it’s an interesting time right now because, here in America at least, and in some other places, the world is opening back up. People are preparing to re-enter what they believe their life should be about, and that’s a very intriguing time. It means a shift has come. It’s exciting; let’s be honest! It’s kind of cool to go out again to a restaurant. Now, I don’t know where you stand on the vaccine issue—that’s between you and God, that’s none of my business. I’m going to drink my water as my wife would say, «I’m just going to mind my own business.» For those who have been vaccinated, there’s another level of confidence they are stepping out with. You just forget how nice it was to sit down and have lunch with a friend, to just be somewhere. Things are beginning to happen.

However, I always try to understand why, you know? We’ve been going through this for about a year and three months or a year and four months—somewhere in there. I like to say, «Okay, God, we went through that.» If you don’t reflect—and I talked about this a few months ago—you’ll miss something. There are two passages of scripture I want to share with you quickly. We’ll see how the Lord leads us today.

The first one is from Ecclesiastes chapter 7, verse 14. Let’s look at it real quick. It says, «In the day of prosperity, be joyful, but in the day of adversity, consider.» It’s one of my favorite passages. In a day when everything is going well—in a day of prosperity—be joyful! Accept it, take it all in. But in the day of adversity, the day of trial, tribulation, and struggle, it says, «Consider.» The Hebrew word literally means «see.» When everything’s great, be joyful! Hallelujah! When everything’s challenging, it’s time to see, perceive, learn, and discern. What’s interesting is that it says in the next part, «Surely God has appointed one as well as the other.» All of it is from God.

So, the day of prosperity is from God, and the day of difficulty is from God too. In the day of prosperity, hey, it’s easy! Either way, shout «Praise the Lord!» and take it in. Let me tell you something: when good times are rolling in my life, oh, I get down; I party! Oh yeah! Because I know there’s another season coming when I’m going to wish it were more organic for me to laugh. So, you’ve got to learn sometimes how to receive a blessing and don’t feel guilty about it. Don’t feel bad because your friend didn’t get blessed; you better take your blessing! If you have to shout and rejoice all by yourself, do it! You are worthy of celebrating what God is doing because there will be a season that comes when you might say, «Man, I wish for the good old days.» But here is the…