“But now the LORD my God has given me rest on every side; there is neither adversary nor evil occurrence.” (1 Kings 5:4)
Unlike his father King David, Solomon waged no wars during the time of his reign. Solomon had ‘rest on every side’.
Today’s Christians wage a different war – the spiritual war. This is a constant battle between the Spirit of God and our flesh. Those who are of God are always in a spiritual war. Apostle Paul understood this quite clearly:
“We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.” (2 Corinthians 4:8-9)
He also said:
“That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:10)
Perhaps you complain and ask God ‘Why?’ Instead, praise God when you are at war. No matter what you’re facing, praise Him. Because when you are at war, you are in faith. Solomon had no wars to fight and he became relaxed and ended up disobeying God. It is also interesting to note that the only time King David chose not to go to war, was the time he fell into temptation.
So, dear reader, if your problems are threatening to make you lose your grip, don’t despair. These problems will keep you praying, fasting, reading your Bible and making your chains of prayers. They will keep your faith burning. Maybe you’ve been praying for peace, but Christ never promised us peace, instead He said:
“Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.”(Matthew 10:33-35)
The persecution the early church faced scattered the apostles far and wide, but wherever they ended up, there they started a ministry, there they preached the Gospel. Instead of complaining, they went and faced their fears.
If you are being complacent or are relaxed, don’t be deceived. Don’t allow satan to lull you into a sense of false security. Instead pray and say to God: “ My Lord, please give me the strength to overcome every challenge, every problem I face. Don’t allow this problem to beat me down.”
So, are you ready for war?
Join us every Sunday at 7am or 9:30am in the Cathedral of Faith, Johannesburg.