Okay, so you think you’re a warrior. Show us.
Many people envision themselves as a warrior in their own life stories. If the moment arises. When the damsel is in distress, and the dragon’s fire is burning through the barricaded front door. Or the castle is in need of saving, the weekend warrior in all of us imagines that we will step up and save the day.
Well, we now have our chance to show off our inner warrior status. The entire population of the globe is undergoing a test. At the time that I write this post, the Corona Virus is still threatening to get worse. Many health experts are predicting millions of people will die. Leaders of nations and states are demanding that the people of their countries step up to the task that is asked of all the citizens of the world.
If we all band together as one, we can defeat this foe. If we all join in and rally our forces to the battlefront, we can and will win this war. President Trump has called this a fight against an invisible enemy. And that it is. The virus is microscopic, but to the naked eye, it is unseen.
So, will warriors around the world step up to fight this war? Will we fight or will we curl into a fetal position in our imaginary foxholes?
The world needs a warrior. Are you one?
Warrior training is currently in progress. Will you or I rise to the occasion?
Well, I guess that depends on what’s asked of us. History teaches us that in most wars, soldiers were asked to train with dangerous weapons of war. And once trained, they were commanded to march into battle and use those weapons against fierce enemies. If they refused to fight, they would die. And if too many soldiers refused to fight, nations would crumble. Women, children, and the elderly suffered horribly under the invading armies.
But what is required in our current war with the Corona Virus? Umm, we have to stay at home and watch television or stream videos on our phones and computers.
What?! That’s it? That doesn’t sound too tough, but it’s the battle that we’re asked to fight for now.
I trust you’re doing well in your fight against the virus. Hold strong, grab another beer, and gear up for another series of Gilligan’s Island re-runs. 🙂
I know you can do it.
And when you go out into the battlezone in search of toilet paper, be careful. It’s a war zone out there.
So now, let’s take a look at a young prophet who the Lord called during more trying times than our own. Babylon was about to crush the tiny nation of Israel. And wouldn’t you know it, just like some of us, who can’t obey the rules to stay home and watch television, people of Jeremiah’s day didn’t listen to God’s commands?
Jeremiah struggled when the Lord called
Jeremiah was a great prophet. But despite the great call on his life, he drew back from the fight at times. As the Lord told him to warn the Israelites of impending doom, the prophet usually did as he was told. Even though a growing number of “spiritual leaders” opposed his doom-and-gloom messages. You see, the “self-righteous” leaders didn’t want to hear the truth. And in rejecting Jeremiah’s message, they really rejected God’s stern warnings.
At the time of Jeremiah’s preaching, the Babylonians were literally completing plans to invade what was left of the tiny nation of Israel. The ten northern tribes had fallen to Assyrian conquerors 100 years prior. Now, the Babylonians were ready to complete the prophetic utterances from numerous prophets. Israel and its temple were facing absolute destruction. Jeremiah was the last in the long line of prophets. More would come after him, but by then the destruction was over. As a whole, the nation refused to heed the warnings. And so, Jeremiah was in a difficult situation.
On his watch, the Babylonians would strike and turn Jerusalem and Judah into a burnt-out shell of its formal glorious self.
The Lord called on Jeremiah to stand strong and declare the visions and prophecies. The nation needed a warrior. God sent Jeremiah. And they nearly killed him as they so often did to the other prophets.
The following passage shows the struggle that Jeremiah endured as he wrestled with God’s call. The final verse highlights the warrior-spirit that was required of him at the time.
Jeremiah’s Prayer (Jeremiah 12:1-5)
1Righteous are You, O LORD, that I would plead my case with You;
Indeed I would discuss matters of justice with You:
Why has the way of the wicked prospered?
Why are all those who deal in treachery at ease?2You have planted them, they have also taken root;
They grow, they have even produced fruit.
You are near to their lips
But far from their mind.3But You know me, O LORD;
You see me;
And You examine my heart’s attitude toward You.
Drag them off like sheep for the slaughter
And set them apart for a day of carnage!4How long is the land to mourn
And the vegetation of the countryside to wither?
For the wickedness of those who dwell in it,
Animals and birds have been snatched away,
Because men have said, “He will not see our latter ending.”5“If you have run with footmen and they have tired you out,
Then how can you compete with horses?
If you can’t run with footmen…
Jeremiah looked around at the miserable results of his persistent preaching. No one repented. Not one. So, as we would do, he complained to the Lord. The Lord’s response is beautiful and inspiring, but eye-opening.
The prophet was weary from the battle. It wasn’t easy to be a prophet in those days. But God had a stern warning for the obedient prophet. In our modern vernacular, the Lord was saying something like this.
“Are you tired? Do you think this is tough? Well, wait until you see what’s coming.”
That’s the same message we need for today’s circumstances. Many of us struggle with adhering to government guidelines. It chaffs against our nature as we’re asked to stay inside for a while. But here’s a chance for us to get a reality check. The world is one small flareup away from real chaos. We can clearly see how dramatic and worldwide the effects of this virus are. And it apparently started in some remote shopping area in China. And our response was to hoard toilet paper, and gun sales are hitting all-time records. Just wait until it gets real! And it will.
Do you think this COVID-19 thing is difficult? Well, people of the world, you haven’t seen anything yet. The Lord has given us a chance to see how we respond in global chaos. But he’s allowing us to observe our responses in very mild circumstances.
The Lord has some unfinished business with the nation of Israel. They are in rebellion and unbelief. The Lord’s going to fix that by sending them into the Great Tribulation. And they will repent. The Church will go into that great time of testing with them. We better prepare ourselves now, while it’s just toilet paper we’re fighting over.
Like the days of Jeremiah
As it was in the days of Jeremiah, there is coming a time of difficulty, unlike anything the world has ever seen. If we can’t run with the footmen, or in this case, a virus, then we’re in big trouble when God’s judgment is poured out upon an unrepentant world.
The horses are coming
If you haven’t gotten your warrior spirit working yet, now’s a good time.
Warrior verses
Jeremiah 20:11
But the LORD is with me like a mighty Warrior. So my persecutors will stumble and not prevail. They will fail and be thoroughly disgraced; their dishonor will never be forgotten.
Zephaniah 3:17
“The LORD your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you. In his love, he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.”
Judges 6:12 Gideon, the unlikely warrior
When the angel of the LORD appeared to Gideon, he said, “The LORD is with you, mighty Warrior.”
Judges 11:1 Jephthah, another unlikely warrior
Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty Warrior. His father was Gilead; his mother was a prostitute.
A young man who didn’t want to be a warrior
After six thousand years of war, there is a need for another warrior. But the young hero hesitated, so a close friend dies on his front porch.
There are risks if we fail to act. get the book here
Let me know what you think.