Did you ever wonder why the Lord shows up on His timetable and not hours? Sometimes it seems that we are fighting the good fight day after day, but not getting anywhere. We cry out to God, but nothing changes. We keep fasting and praying, but our world doesn't seem to change or doesn't change fast enough.
At 50 years old, I began to train as a Body Builder. In order to be competitive you have to work really hard. In some cases you have to fast to get your body fat content down and still maintain a 2 hour workout. That's really tough. It's grueling. The pain is totally intense. I've also run competitive cross country in high school and college. That is another sport where you have to overcome the pain barrier. In college some of the taller and more talented runners quit. The pain was too great. They couldn't take it. In body building to develop the rips and cuts in your muscles, you have to train relentlessly and push yourself beyond what your body thinks it can handle. You have to smash the pain barrier. You have to angry with it. You have to attack.
I see the same sequence of events for a warrior of the spirit. God is shaping and testing us as we go through the trials. If we fail, God is faithful and guess what? We repeat the trial, until we get the victory, but we have to attack in the spirit realm. We need to pray and fast to overcome our flesh and enemy.
Through all the storms of life, at home, in the church, on the job, the extended family, you will be tried and it seems unbearable at times, but that's where God really gets our attention. He wants us to totally rely on Him and if we do, He will reward us. "But without faith, it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him." (Hebrews 11:6)
I thought about that on the way to work today. If I was rich and had everything, would I so desperately seek Him? And in my seeking Him, He rewards me. He knows what I need and what I want, but He rewards me as I need. I look back at the "Evening of Prayer in Ramona" and I know He rewarded me with my needs. The event was a success, but I couldn't do all that I wanted to promote it. He knew that. So He intervened. He carried the load for me. That wasn't important to Him, what was important, is that I was obedient to follow His Spirit and do all that He wanted me to do.
That's our continuing quest as a spirit warrior. To seek His face daily and ask Him what He wants us to do with our lives. We forget that He's right by our side, but still we have to step out to promote His kingdom. We are co-laborers with Him. What an awesome thing that is.
Don't be depressed when stress piles up in your life. Turn to Jesus. He's building you into His spirit warrior. He's in the fire with us and knows exactly how much we can take. He never leaves us. He loves us more than we could know. He's proud of us. He forgives us. He lifts us up and encourages us to go continue on the life's trail.
When the pressure builds - Seek Jesus. He's the answer to any of your questions and He's building you for all eternity.
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