Above Rubies Daily Encouragement Blogs
THE PATIENCE TEST, NO. 8 REIGNING RIGHT NOW!
David had to go through many testings of patiently waiting before he could reign over God's people, Israel. In the same way, we who are being prepared to reign with Christ when He comes with His saints to reign over all the earth, must walk through the patience tests.
In a sense, we are learning to reign with Christ even now before His second coming. I am not in any way saying that Christ's millennial reign is in the here and now. What I am saying is that through the power of the indwelling Sprit of Christ we are meant to reign in victory RIGHT NOW over the world's temptations that wants to draw us into its mindset. We are meant to reign RIGHT NOW over our fleshly appetites. We are to reign RIGHT NOW over the devil's occupations, oppressions, and depressions, doubts, fears, devil suggestions, and pride. When Jesus said, "Get thee behind me, Satan" He was declaring His reign over Satan's subtle attack on Him through Peter (Matthew 8:33).
Jesus Himself was tested on the subject of patience during His forty day trial in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11). He was tempted by Satan at a time of hunger to command stones to be made into bread. But Jesus knew that He was not meant, in any way, to heed Satan's advice as Adam and Eve had done in the garden (Genesis 3:1-7). He told Satan that bread made from God's Word was the true Living Bread.
Fathers, we must teach our children not to eat the bread suggested by the devil. The devil's bread is made from dead stones. It is heavy, lifeless, and it kills. Too many people are feasting on the bread of stones--including weak, immature Christians.
The bread from Heaven is worth patiently waiting on God for. It does not come in the clamor, rush, and bombardment of our modern media and high-pressured secular education and entertainment. Rather, the Living Bread we partake of comes in the early morning dew to those who patiently wait for the Living Bread.
Hebrews 6:12: "Be not slothful, but followers of them who through FAITH AND PATIENCE inherit the promises."
Be encouraged.
Colin Campbell
