These are the nations that God left there, using them to test the Israelites who had no experience in the Canaanite wars. He did it to train the descendants of Israel, the ones who had no battle experience, in the art of war. Judges 3:1-2 (MSG)
REFERENCE
JUDGES 3:1-4 (MSG)
There are times that God, in His wisdom, will permit certain unpalatable situations in our lives to give our faith and trust in Him an opportunity to SHINE. He doesn’t do them to make life unbearable for us, but to basically train us to handle life’s tough situations, to bring out the ‘Man of War’ in us, and to teach us dependence and obedience to Him.
It is recorded here that God purposely left Israel’s enemies in their land to test those unschooled in the art of war. He created an opportunity just to prepare and train them for battle. So, sometimes, when you are facing an unpleasant situation and it seems like God is slow in bringing you out of that situation, it could be that He is training you for toughness; He does not want the situation to consume you, but He wants you to be tough enough to take on the situation and overcome it.
As Christians, we live in a world where we have an archenemy – the devil. He constantly contends with us, and as we rise higher or as we progress in life, he intensifies his attacks and antagonism. We must therefore train our spiritual muscles to deal with the inevitable battles of life. II Timothy 2:3 admonishes us to endure hardship as good solders of the Lord. Hence, toughness is a necessity. Additionally, James 1:2-4 says, we should count it as a thing of joy when we face tests, because it is an opportunity for growth; these tests make our faith produce patience which eventually makes us complete in all things.
Although God does not tempt anyone with evil; He can sometimes allow you go through tough situations just to build character in you and make you better. It is the same imagery of the Mother Eagle, who stirs her nest and pushes her eaglets out of the comfortable nest into a free-falling spin from heights that are tens to hundreds of feet. She does this, not because she hates them, but so that they learn to develop their own wings to soar through the storms. She does it to train them to become precise and skillful hunters; that they may learn to become reigning eagles and not die as weak eaglets. Now through this, they must learn to trust her heart and her judgment, for through this learning period, she still swoops and catches them, to stop them from hitting the ground, while they develop their wings.
Your flesh may have a thousand reasons, while going through a ‘test’, to want to jump out of God’s ‘pressure-cooker’, but you must allow patience complete its work in you, so you can have the opportunity to grow into maturity in your faith. Today’s minor battles are training you for victory in tomorrow’s major battles.
SCRIPTURE PHOTO
ADDITIONAL STUDY
Deuteronomy 32:11, Job 23:8-10, & I Peter 1:6-9
PRAYER
Lord, give me grace to endure hardship like a good soldier as this would make me better, stronger, and tougher. Give me wisdom to know You are with me through tough times, so that I may trust You and the process in Jesus name, Amen
