CHRISTIAN TRIAL IS LIKE MILITARY TRAINING
Every Christian is a soldier of the Lord. Every soldier is recruited and trained before being deployed. When we are passing through trials, we are in a way undergoing military training in the house of God. We call it ‘trial’, God calls it ‘training’.
Thou therefore, ENDURE HARDNESS, as a GOOD SOLDIER of Jesus Christ (2 Timothy 2:3)
The battle of the end time is fierce. It is only well trained soldiers who can fight it. ‘Born Again’, Dear Christian brothers and sisters, do you know you’re a soldier? Do you intend to fight to the end? Then you must be prepared to ‘endure hardness’ of trials as a ‘good’ soldier. If you complain, then you are a ‘bad’ soldier and will be dropped from the number during the ‘screening exercise.
It happened to the army of Gideon. He had 32,000 soldiers who were ‘wonderful’ in his own eyes, Many of us are ‘wonderful believers’ in the eyes of our pastors. But when the hour of warfare came, the Lord did the final selection Himself and what was the result? Of the 32,000 ‘great soldiers’ of Gideon, only 300 scaled through.
The remaining 31,700 (The multitude that fill our church), were ‘bad soldiers’ who could not ENDURE HARDNESS’! God of trial, He tried them (as He tries us today) to pick those who were fit for warfare!
And the Lord said unto Gideon; The people are yet too many; bring them down unto the water and I WILL TRY THEM for thee there… And the Lord said… By the three hundred men… will I save you and deliver the Midianites into thine hand; and let all the other people go - every man unto his place (Judges 7:4 &7)
God selected 300 of them, and asked the other ‘soldiers’ to ‘go’, every man unto his place! The 300 went on to the Lord’s assignment, while the other 31,700 went unto their own places! That’s woeful! They were discharged from the army of God! Fellow believers, what is your attitude to the trial? Do you want to be separated unto the Lord’s work or discharged to ‘your own place’? Your attitude during trails will make the difference.
If you have grudged and complained already, quickly repent and tell the Lord you are sorry for if the soldiers of the world are to ‘obey before complaining’, how much more we of the Lord! Then, like a good soldier, set your mind to endure whatever hardness you’re passing through with fortitude and determination. Ask God to give you the strength to endure.
The five foolish virgins were asked to “go, every unto his own place”. They were “discharged” from the army of the chosen! That shouldn’t be our portion. We don’t want to do all the present “waiting”, only for us to be cast out at last. We are warriors, we should fight on the Lord’s side, come what may!
Jesus replied, "No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God." Luke 9:62 (NIV)
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