The focus of our meditation yesterday was Jephthah. We praised his hard work at training himself to a man who had something to offer. He groomed himself until his background could no longer determine his foreground. There is something else about him that was not mentioned previously, and it is the fact that he could discern opportunity. When the elders of his country came to invite him to lead them to battle, he saw that as an opportunity. He struck a deal with them that he would only go if they made him their leader. The people had no choice. Today we have Jephthah’s name in the hall of fame of those who did exploits through faith. Talents and skills are essential in life, but they cannot determine the overall victory. Unless these are brought to bear at the right time, they may produce nothing tangible.

The documented account of the pool of Bethesda in John 5 has a number of things to teach about opportunity. The Bible states that around the pool lay a great multitude of sick, blind, lame, and so on. The angel would come to stir the water at a certain season. Whoever among them entered first was made whole of their infirmities. That brings us to the first important lesson; that is, opportunities often come attached to certain seasons in life. Those who will benefit from them must know the art and science of discerning seasons. The second thing to note is that certain opportunities are time-bound. When the time frame elapses, we can no longer enjoy the privilege. There is no better way to say this than the insightful words of Leonard Ravenhill who said, “The opportunity of a lifetime needs to be seized during the lifetime of the opportunity”.