Develop A Warrior's Spirit
(Genesis 45:3-7) “Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still living?†But his brothers were not able to answer him, because they were terrified at his presence. Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Come close to me.†When they had done so, he said, “I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt! And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you. For two years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years there will be no plowing and reaping. But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.â€
Trials are not meant to hurt you, they are meant to develop a Warrior’s Spirit. If the level of your trial is severe just think about the level of your blessing that is waiting! Trust the love of God and persevere in faith! (I Peter 1:6-9) “In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.â€
Nothing comes your way without the Father’s knowledge and if it does then trust in the One who went through such excruciating pain on the cross, trust in His love that it is to teach you something, draw a gift and a passion out of you that might otherwise have not been developed. It may be due to a consequence of an action you sowed that needs to be dealt with and that seed that reaps destruction needs to be weeded out. Trust in His love to also deliver you out of it when the trial has served its purpose. The best way to go through a trial is to instead of complaining ask, “Father, what are you trying to teach me?†Complain and you remain but learn and you will grow and move on. (Psalm 121) “I lift up my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip—He who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, He who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord watches over you—the Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all harm—He will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.â€
We are to be the vessel that God uses to speak to others and draw them to Him. We may be the only Jesus people see and God can use the trials we suffer through to speak to others in need that they may put their faith in Him. (II Corinthians 1:3-7) “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.â€
Paul suffered through many hardships much more so than we do in being surrounded by bills with no money, illnesses or unsaved loved ones. He endured prison and in those days it did not have the convenience of AC and television. He went through beatings and no food. (II Corinthians 1:8-10) “We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and He will deliver us again. On Him we have set our hope that He will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many.â€
Paul and his fellow disciple’s despaired life at times just as you do, but he realized that if things were easy then he would be able to get through them and accomplish the tasks at hand in his own strength and would not need God. He understood that the tests and trials of life that were too hard for them to get through were so they would rely on God. Then God gets the glory, people see and are drawn to Him.
So in your trial if it is an especially difficult one, thank God that He has entrusted it to you that He may speak to others through you and the deliverance He has in store!
(Psalm 40:1-3) “ I waited patiently for the Lord; He turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear the Lord and put their trust in Him.â€
