Hosanna Restoration Church

In the Living Bible we are told to think over these three illustrations, and see how they apply to us. So let’s consider what the Holy Spirit was telling us.

The first illustration was that of a soldier in war. He must keep his mind on what he is doing in the battle. If he is distracted by the other affairs of life, he can not do justice to his commanding officer or to what he is called to do. Those other things still exist, but a loss of concentration in the battle can cost him his life. His main focus must be on pleasing his superiors. If he does, he will get the promotions and etc. that make him a success. Also, when a person is at war, there are others who are taking care of the other affairs of life. The same is true when we consider our life in Christ. If we seek first the things God says we should, then everything else will be taken care of. That is the promise of God and He does not break promises. In the natural world, there may be some things that people fail to take care of for the soldier in the army, but God does not overlook anything. It is difficult for us to see how God can help us in everything, but He can if we will just let Him.

The next illustration is that of an athlete who must follow the rules. To be a good athlete, one must work hard and be very disciplined. They must also follow the rules or they will not get the prize. The Bible says that there is a way that seems right unto man, but the end of it is destruction. We may come up with all sorts of ways that we would rather do things. We may even do what we consider to be great works for God, but if we do not do things the way He says, we will not get the prize. There have been great athletes, who had great gifts, but then to give themselves an extra edge on things they used drugs that would help them do better. Or so they thought. When they did this, all their hard work turned out to be for nothing, because they were disqualified. All we need to do is be who God created us to be in Christ. No more, no less, and we will get the prize.

The last illustration was that of the farmer who works hard and reaps a harvest. The New King James says that he must be the first to partake of the crops. The Living Bible says that he gets paid well if he raises a large crop. In our present situation in the world, a farmer might say it would be nice if that were really the case. Well, in God’s plan He says that you will reap a harvest if you sow yourself into the kingdom of God. Not only in the spiritual, but also in the physical. God is not bound by the economy, the markets, the weather, or anything else. He is bound by His word. Everything else may fail, but His word never will. So if we think about these things, we can see that if we will apply them to our lives, we will have success.

As we live in this world, our first call is to the Lord’s army. If we answer that call, He will take care of the other less important things that seem so important. We will still do everything that we need to do, but we will not be entangled in the affairs of life, or strangled by them, because we will be trusting God. We will not be distracted by the natural laws going on around us, because we will be following God’s rules and attaining His prizes. And we will be confident of a harvest, because God has promised that we will be well rewarded. And by the way, we need the rewards here, because in heaven we will need nothing. Everything is there waiting for us.