of the sons of Issachar who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do, their chiefs were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their command; – 1 Chronicles 12:32 (NKJV)

Market timing is one of the key ingredients to business success. Generally, market timing is defined as a type of investment or trading strategy. It suggests that you can move in and out of financial markets or switch between asset classes based on predictive methods.

Although market timing as an investment technique is not advisable and often difficult to do successfully over a long period, market timing is an entrepreneurship principle that is critical to business success. It is the ability to determine the right time to start a business, invest in a particular business, launch a new product, or expand your business.

Miss the timing and the window of opportunity could close. On the flip side, you can sometimes be too early, which can also cause you to lose a lot of money and even to face business failure. This idea can even be expanded to life in general. The ability to discern what God is doing globally, nationally, and within your community at any given time can help you to make the right decisions and take full advantage of the times.

This was the case for the sons of Issachar. The Bible tells us about a time during the reign of King Saul when Israel was facing a crisis of leadership. King Saul was losing his grip on power, and standing in the wings was a new prospective king, David, who was slowly picking up political momentum.

The prophet Samuel had anointed David to be the next king, but no one knew when this would take place. When the time came, the sons of Issachar – those who had the understanding of the times and knew what to do - not only knew it was time but invested themselves fully in David’s camp and were able to be a part of the new incoming king’s team.

What made the sons of Issachar so unique? What can we learn from them as we seek to discern the times and seasons for our business or our lives?

1. They were prepared - They were organized and had a clear leadership structure so that at the appropriate time, they could provide direction for everyone to follow.
2. They were in tune with God - They stayed tuned to the will of God. They knew that God had anointed David as the next king and understood the spiritual relevance of the moment.
3. They kept up with the events of their day - They knew that David was accomplishing victory after victory and that Saul and even the enemies of Israel were no match for him.
4. They had courage - They had the courage of their convictions. They did not wait for everyone to join in, but were willing to go at it alone if necessary.
5. They did not just talk but acted - They joined David in battle to help secure the crown for him.

How well can you discern your current market conditions? Do you understand the economic, political, and social factors affecting your industry? Are you up to date with your competitors and the factors – global, national, and local – that affect your industry? Do you know how these factors with God’s plan for your life and business and how they will affect your timing? Do you have the courage to act on what you see, although others may not see and therefore may not be pursuing the opportunity? Are you ok with going at it alone if necessary?

Remember, timing is everything. If you are too early, you could lose money, and if you are too late, you could miss the window of opportunity. Saul failed to discern the timing and strategy of God at every stage and eventually lost everything – whereas the sons of Issachar moved according to the perfect timing of God, and helped David and the nation of Israel to achieve unprecedented success, built upon victory after glorious victory.

My prayer for you today is that like the sons of Issachar, God will give you the wisdom to discern the times, and know exactly what you should do at every stage of your life and business.