Walking along this narrow path of our Christian journey, we can often be made to feel like we’ve wandered off the path, or if we’re on the right path at all.
Sometimes the road is rough. Sometimes the road is tough. Sometimes the hills are hard to climb. There’s one thing that I know for certain, and that is, we must continue to climb.
I recall when I was a sergeant in the army, and the soldiers would come to me with different complaints and gripes or situations or scenarios that were sometimes seemingly impossible, sometimes I wouldn’t have the answers, but I would not convey that to them. I would just say in a confident command voice “CARRY ON! CONTINUE TO MARCH!
I somehow had developed blind faith. Faith in God, faith in the leadership, this faith and confidence had been instilled in me through, consistency. You might ask “consistency in what?” and my answer is “in doing it by the book”. Yes, by the Book. Over and over again, by the book.
We use to call it “GOOD TRAINING!”. Those soldiers would get so angry when I would say “let’s do it over again”. They would say
“WHAT! Again?” Well, as much as I loved and hated the army, and wanted to get out, and be a civilian, I find myself a sergeant all over again. This time, I’m a sergeant in the Army of the Lord. I’m soldiering for the Lord. And can you believe it, the things that I don’t get right by the book, the commander God makes me do it over again.
For example, when I don’t “love my neighbor” or my enemy or pray for those who spitefully misuse me, or I’m not patient enough, He brings before me, the same scenario, over and over again, until I get it right. Then He says to me “GOOD TRAINING, CONTINUE TO MARCH!”
The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men would count slackness, but is long suffering toward us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9) Thank God for His mercy. “CARRY ON, CONTINUE TO MARCH!”
—Pastor Dwayne
Richardson
