“They will surely try but not by me whose rises against you will die for your sake.” (v.10-19)
Various challenges surround every human as well as the child of God at one time or the other. Such challenges may be present as pain, illness, habits, unpleasant change of status, etc. Challenges can whisper to us we are vulnerable, incompetent, devise a scheme, work against nature for a solution, and some say “curse God and die.” The Scripture rightly tells us challenges are not uncommon to man, and the trials happen for a purpose. James says, “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and He will give it to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let, not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” (chapter 1:2-8). We may view any challenge as an opportunity to see God in action and view it as another opportunity for spiritual upliftment.
Making it to the status of the Army general requires the soldier some combat service in the war zone or for exceptionally meritorious service. The soldier only gets promoted to this high-ranking office based on achievements in combat and years of experience doing this. An Army general is responsible for significant command areas, which encompasses all strategic decision-making during wartime and peacetime, and such skills can only come through a lifetime of experience.
Similarly, Battles in life fought with the Lord on your side expand your knowledge of the Almighty and your spiritual vision or dynamics or elevation. This kind of challenge becomes a reference point for future battles. We remember David was just a shepherd boy when he faced Goliath. Goliath’s boasting overwhelmed the Israelite soldiers to the level of fear and paralysis. They lost confidence in facing the enemy until a rescuer arrived.
David, while visiting his brothers and delivering supplies for sustenance at the battlefront, happened to hear Goliath’s egoistic words against the God of Israel. David felt insulted and jealous for God hearing his boastful words and volunteered to face the Goliath. He approached the king of Israel, Saul; he would fight Goliath. Saul discouraged David because of his youthfulness and lacked experience on the battlefield. David referenced to Saul his experience with God, who enabled him to destroy lions and bears raging to divulge the herds of sheep in his custody. He then boasted in the assurance he has in the same God who assisted him for past victories and His abilities to help him in the combat against Goliath through this expression. “When the words that David spoke were heard, they informed Saul, and he sent for him. And David said to Saul, “May no one’s heart fail on account of him; your servant will go and fight this Philistine!” But Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight him; for you are only a youth, while he has been a warrior since his youth.” But David said to Saul, “Your servant was tending his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and took a sheep from the flock, I went out after it and attacked it, and rescued the sheep from its mouth; and when it rose against me, I grabbed it by its mane and struck it and killed it. Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear, and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them since he has defied the armies of the living God.” And David said, “The Lord who saved me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear, He will save me from the hand of this Philistine.” So, Saul said to David, “Go and may the Lord be with you. ” Then Saul clothed David with his military attire and put a bronze helmet on his head, and outfitted him with armor. And David strapped on his sword over his military attire and struggled at walking, for he had not trained with the armor. So, David said to Saul, “I cannot go with these because I have not trained with them.” And David took them off. Then he took his staff in his hand and chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in the shepherd’s bag which he had, that is, in his shepherd’s pouch, and his sling was in his hand, and he approached the Philistine.
Then the Philistine came and approached David, with the shield-bearer in front of him. When the Philistine looked and saw David, he was contemptuous of him, for he was only a youth and reddish, with a handsome appearance. So, the Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog that you come to me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. The Philistine also said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the sky and the wild animals.” But David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, a spear, and a saber, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of armies, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will hand you over to me, and I will strike you and remove your head from you. Then I will give the dead bodies of the army of the Philistines this day to the birds of the sky and the wild animals of the earth, so that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel and that this entire assembly may know that the Lord does not save by sword or by spear; for the battle is the Lord’s, and He will hand you over to us!”
Then it happened when the Philistine came closer to meet David, that David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine. And David put his hand into his bag and took from it a stone and slung it, and struck the Philistine on his forehead. And the stone penetrated his forehead, and he fell on his face to the ground.
So, David prevailed over the Philistine with the sling and the stone: he struck the Philistine and killed him, and there was no sword in David’s hand. Then David ran and stood over the Philistine, and took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and finished him, and cut off his head with it. When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled. Then the men of Israel and Judah rose and shouted, and they pursued the Philistines as far as the valley and to the gates of Ekron. And the Philistine dead lay along the way to Shaaraim, even to Gath and Ekron. Then the sons of Israel returned from their close pursuit of the Philistines and plundered their camps. And David took the Philistine’s head and brought it to Jerusalem, but he put his weapons in his tent.” (1 Samuel 17: 31-54).
David went into battle because he had experienced God, and he destroyed the Philistine for being in a relationship with God. “Those who trust the Lord are like Mount Zion which can never be shaken. It remains firm forever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people now and forever.” (Psalm 125:2). It’s no surprise the scripture says, “Those who do wickedly against the covenant he shall corrupt with flattery, but the people who know their God shall be strong and carry out great exploits.” (Daniel 11:32).
The book of Job relates the experienced of a man called Job. The first chapter describes Job in this manner, “There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil.” (Job 1:1). As we continue the reading of the book, we experience a backstage conversation of the devil’s plot against Job with God. The Lord boasted about Job’s uprightness in Him, the enemy responded Job’s blessings were enough reasons for his devotion, and explained to God Job will curse God if He deprives Job of all his possessions. God told the Devil all Job’s possessions were within his power but warned him not to touch Job’s person. The Devil destroyed Job’s possessions, family, and Health. Through all the affliction, Job did not curse God.
At the end, Job’s dialogue with God asked questions during the discussion, and the Lord challenged Job about his misunderstandings. At the end of their conversation, Job answered the Lord and said: “I know that You can do everything, And that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You. You asked, ‘Who is this who hides counsel without knowledge?’ Therefore, I have uttered what I did not understand, Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. Listen, please, and let me speak; You said, ‘I will question you, and you shall answer Me.’ “I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, But now my eye sees You. Therefore, I despise myself, And repent in dust and ashes.” Job could boast of his knowledge about God in his previous years, but at the end of his trial, he realized his emptiness. ”The life and temptation of Job support the scripture as in James 1:2-8 referenced above that the child of God profits from the trial.
The scripture has a record of men and women who persevered in trials by exercising their faith in God; some persevered in the face of lions and burning flames, many had instant results, like David with Goliath. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were thrust into flames of fire before they saw the Lord in the fire, where the fire did not burn them; Daniel had to experience the den of lions before his rescue when God made the company of lions harmless to him. God rescued the children of Israel from the hand of Pharaoh’s slavery at His perfect timing. Some died or were harmed confessing God’s faithfulness and held on to God’s ability and His Word that never fails as professed by the three Hebrew children. “Nebuchadnezzar began speaking and said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods, nor worship the golden statue that I have set up? Now, if you are ready, at the moment you hear the sound of the horn, flute, lyre, trigon, psaltery and bagpipe, and all kinds of musical instruments, to fall and worship the statue that I have made, very well. But if you do not worship, you will immediately be thrown into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire; and what god is there who can rescue you from my hands?”
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-ego replied to the king, “Nebuchadnezzar, we do not require an answer to give you concerning this matter. If it is so, our God whom we serve can rescue us from the furnace of blazing fire; and He will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods nor worship the golden statue that you have set up.” with the mind of the three Hebrew children thrust into the fire
Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with wrath, and his facial expression was changed toward Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He answered by giving orders to heat the furnace seven times more than it was usually heated. And he ordered certain valiant warriors who were in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to throw them into the furnace of blazing fire. Then these men were tied up in their trousers, coats, caps, and other clothes and were thrown into the middle of the furnace of blazing fire. For this reason, because the king’s command was harsh and the furnace had been made extremely hot, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. But these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell into the middle of the furnace of blazing fire still tied up.
Then Nebuchadnezzar, the king, was astounded and stood up quickly; he said to his counselors, “Was it not three men that we threw bound into the middle of the fire?” They replied to the king, “Absolutely, O king.” He responded, “Look! I see four men untied and walking about in the middle of the fire unharmed, and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods!” Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the door of the furnace of blazing fire; he said, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, come out, you servants of the Highest God, and come here!” Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out of the middle of the fire.
The satraps, the prefects, the governors, and the king’s counselors gathered together and saw that the fire had no effect on the bodies of these men, nor was the hair of their heads singed, nor were their trousers damaged, nor had even the smell of fire touched them. Nebuchadnezzar responded and said, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent His angel and rescued His servants who put their trust in Him, violating the king’s command, and surrendered their bodies rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. Therefore, I make a decree that any people, nation, or population of any language that speaks anything offensive against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego shall be torn limb from limb. Their houses made a rubbish heap because there is no other god who can save in this way.” Then the king made Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego prosperous in the province of Babylon.” (Daniel 3:14-30).
Many times, we are preoccupied with ourselves during trials. Our walk with God means we are to let go of ourselves and let God. We fall victims of self-calculating how to, which does not help us. “Therefore, I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?” (Matthew 6:25-27).
In times of trials and temptations, we are to look unto Jesus. Hezekiah received a threatening letter of invasion from the king of Assyria, boasting about his powerful god no nation has escaped his hands. Hezekiah looked up, spread the letter before God, reminded God of who He is according to the Scriptures. God heard Hezekiah, and he didn’t have to fight in the battle. God himself fought from heaven against the king of Assyria. (2 Kings 19:14-19).
Who is Boasting Against You? Adam and Eve, after they disobeyed God listening to the devil’s lies, went into hiding after hearing God’s call. “Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?” So, he said, “I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked, and I hid. And He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?” (Genesis 3:9-11). These were God’s creations who had the covering of the Almighty, they gave themself out to the devil, and they lost their divine cover and became gullible. The event marked the beginning of the fall of man. Since then the human has been vulnerable, everything about him/her has been ugly, broken into pieces, the man was separated from the Spirit of God and under the control of the devil (flesh) with all the manifestations, “Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” (Galatians 5:19-21). Every day the devil instills in the human he/she is naked (incapable, incapacitated, impossible, vulnerable, etc.)
God remains loving and does not wish for any man to perish or suffer separation from Him on this earth and also lose eternal salvation. He sent Jesus as a ransom for man. He became sin and the sacrifice to make atonement for man once and for all; without the shedding of blood, there is no remission for sin. Jesus went to the cross, shed His blood at Calvary. He fulfilled the role as the Savior of the world, to reconcile man with God.
What Do You Do With Jesus?
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16). “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” (Acts 16:31). “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come into him and dine with him, and he with Me.” (Revelation 3:20). “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” (Acts 16:31). As you accept God’s offer of salvation, the Lord Jesus Christ, the following happen to you: You become a child of God. He comes into your heart. You are born again with the water, and the Spirit of God (the Spirit of God indwells you). Now you can start to walk with God through a daily quiet time with him, which involves: Daily reading of the Bible and meditation on it. Pray to God about the reading of the day, personal needs, and for others. You may use the sample of the Lord’s Prayer in the Bible as a guide. You may reference my book “I Heard about You, and Now I Know you,” on Amazon Kindle, on how to walk the Christian race.
What to Do with Challenges
Jesus says, “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. Without me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5). It is crucial to self-check to ensure you are not responsible. See what the book of James says on this, “Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures. Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, “The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously”? But He gives more grace. Therefore, He says: “God resists the proud, but He gives grace to the humble.” Therefore, submit to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts; you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you.” (James 4:1-10). Challenge any problem you identify and make amends through: Confess- If any man sins, we have an advocate with the Father. Forsake – he who confesses and forsakes will have pardon. Ensure you are in communion or constant fellowship with God. Walk in the Spirit. Pray at all times. Live out the Word. Share the hope you have in Christ Jesus.
The Promises of God to Counteract Boasters.
“Then you will call, and I will answer, you will cry for heil and He will say, here I am.” (Isaiah 58:9). Psalm 91. Psalm 27. Isaiah 43. Lamentation 3:37-38 When you know the Lord and walk intimately with him, you’ll understand that greater is He who is in you than who is in the world (1John 4:4). Faith without flaws does not say I have prayed, and nothing is happening. Faith is I asked, and He has done it, “faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. “(Hebrews 11:1). The Lord does not make promises and does not fulfill as some powers do. So, hold on to His attribute and live the life of worship of Him who has all in His control and can do all things. “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7). When you know the Lord (intimacy), you are on the victory side; Victory is “rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer;” (Romans 12:12).