Soldier of The Cross,   agree with God that you will understand it all bye and by, but that it is fruitless for you to try to understand it all in this life.

     If we acknowledge that we are not able to understand all the big things now, why is it that we think we must understand all the "little" things? Isn't it true that we struggle to understand why this or that thing was said?  Why so and so forgot to fulfill that duty?  Why the thing broke when it should not have broken?

     Does He separate the big from the little?

     His Word tells us differently.


     Soldier, just do the next thing by faith and with all your being.  Many things, large and small, need to be released in order to be able to insure that the ground under your feet is ground on which the Lord may minister without impediment.

     You simply must not stop to try to figure out things that re not self-evident.  Yes, pray.  Yes, ask for sight.  Yes, ask for wisdom. 

     In the meantime, look up and move on!

       Soldier of The Cross, know your purpose.

     You must agree with God.  And, as a matter of fact, what is that purpose?  Is it not that you will be transformed into His Likeness, no matter what it takes?

      How connected are you to The Body of Christ?   How much do you love His Word?  How committed are you to taking up The Cross and following Him?  Isn't that the bottom line?

     Things are rough.  Often it is the little sniggly, ordinary barbs of daily life that create the barriers.  But Soldier, you must leave it all behind.

     What is the most important thing in life?  It is the thing most important!   How many think of this matter?  You must.

     Follow hard and fast after Him who gave up Glory to die for you.  He named you.  He has collected your tears in a bottle.  He knows every word you have ever said.  And, He has forgiven you while leading you with His eyes.

     His agenda is you.  He intercedes for you.  He loves you.  He watches over you.

     Soldier, there is simply nothing else.
     Make sure your priorities are also His.

     If Jesus is real to you, you will have an awareness of the battle.

     The strategy of the enemy is to invade, lie, divide and steal.  In some cultures he advances himself differently than others, but  in every land he does whatever he can to divide the Brethren.

     It is not possible to identify the enemy without a vital relationship with the Lord.  We come under attack all the time.  We don't have to give in to it.  We have choice and, of course, we have all of the Armor of God.

     Soldier of The Cross, one of the most important things you must determine in this life is to refrain from denigrating other Christians.   Satan comes in like a storm and gets great energy when believers speak ill of one another. 

     God's Word commands us, warns us and implores us about this. 

     Be vigilant.  Be prayerful.  Be obedient.

     Soldier of The Cross, who is it that we serve?

     Is it not He who keeps the universe running by His Word of Power, according to Hebrews 1:3?

     Do you serve Him or are you serving yourself?  Are you issues about your own life, or are you ministering first to the needs of others?

     Soldier, of course you must address the matters that erupt in your own life.  But the issue is, you must deal with all according to The Word of God. 

     Are you worried about money?  What does God's Word say?
     Are you worried about what others say or think?  What does God's Word say?
     Are you worried about the future of your children?   Have you thought about His intentions concerning your children?  Do you believe He hears you when you tell Him about them?

     Soldier, if you are not standing before Him  formulating words, you have no prayer life at all.  It is not possible to pray in the mind alone unless one is not able to either speak or sign.   The exception would be in prison or a similar situation.

     Do you understand He adores you?
     His heart is ravished by your thought of Him.  Is that real to you?


     In fact, is He real to you at all?

   
     Soldier, you absolutely, positively must speak to Him aloud.  You must stand or sit or lay or kneel before Him.  The burden must be transferred in prayer and  with the supernatural assistance of the Along-side One - The Indwelling Holy Spirit.

 
     Put it down.
     Then, look up.
     Move on!

     We have been created for heaven, yet, we must deal with things that are distracting and distressing.

     Sometimes, it feels like life is a gauntlet to be run.  Just when it seems recovery is around the corner, something else happens.

     It has always been so.

     Soldier of The Cross, we are not winding around the barriers and storms of life.  We are being led by the fire and the cloud and are advancing forward in a straight line.  We have One who leads us with His eyes.  We have one who hides us in the cleft of The Rock.  He has already dealt with the world in such a way that we can not be eternally harmed by it.

     We must pay attention to those who are before us.  The grocery clerk.  The mailman.  The vet.  The street sign holder.

     It is not possible for you to be a lightening rod for the Lord if you are occupied with the things that loom large by sight.  You absolutely must be in the Word and in prayer.  If you are not, you will not be able to see reality - you will only see the problem.

     Soldier, buck up. Obey.  Come before Him and unburden yourself.  Aloud and honestly.
     He who died for you will tenderly scoop you into His Side - the cleft of The Rock of Ages.

  Soldier of The Cross, when you stand before Him, what do you want Him to say about you?

     Will it be " well done, thou good and faithful Servant",  or will it be something else?  How can you tell?  Have you agreed or disagreed with Him?

      The bottom line is, what have you said to Him in prayer?  Have you told Him that He could do anything with your life?

 
      Have you told Him you will agree with Him with regard to anything He allows?

     Soldier,  make no mistake - there is absolutely nothing else.  There is no one else who will answer you.  He will answer and it will be intimate.  He will address the deepest concerns and He will make it known that He cared enough to give His life for you.

   
     Whose are you?  Your own?  Of course not.  That is guaranteed failure.
     Advance.  In prayer.  You will experience a security you have not tasted before.

     Tell Him you will serve Him.
     Tell Him you will hold nothing back.
     
     Tell Him aloud.
     Tell Him today.

     Is Jesus a Rock in a weary land?

     Of course.
 

     Soldier of The Cross, do not forget that you are a sojourner and a pilgrim.  You enlisted in the Army of the King of Kings, and you stepped away from quicksand comfort.

     Why is it a weary land?  Because it has been so designed.  You were created for fellowship with Him and from the time of the fall, it has been intended that you would learn to live and move by faith.  The issue is, Faith.

     Look at all around you.   What is the united priority?  It is the insuring of this life.  It is the desperate longing to see that there is no earthly failure.   The desperate effort to avoid reality - the eternal.

     The fields are white unto harvest.
     Pray.
     Sing the songs.
     Speak the Word.
     Extend your hand to those slipping off the edge of the cliff.

     Introduce them to The Rock of Ages.
 

     What is your life really about?

     Does your family know He comes first?  Is meeting with Him a priority?  Does your speech reflect your purpose?  What about the Body of Christ? 

     Are you often looking back?

     You have been called.  What can throw you off? 

         A Volunteer for Jesus,  a Soldier true!
        Others have enlisted, why not you?
        Jesus is the Captain, we will never fear;
        Will you be enlisted as a volunteer?      

     Rejoicing in the Lord does not have to mean an emotional experience.

     It simply means agreeing with God, stating  that you are glad He has made the right choice and agreeing to take the next step by faith because you have put your weight down on the Rock of Ages.

     It is critically important to tell Him that He knows best and that you are glad, glad, glad.  He will honor this and you will see the situation more clearly.  You will begin to see things as He sees them.

     You must do this aloud.

     Then, look up and move on!