Soldier vs Draft Dodger
2010 • Gary Waddell • Victory Ministries Mid Tennessee
Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please Him who hath chosen him to be a soldier. (2 Tim 2:3-4)
Several decades ago, many of us received a letter in the mail that started with “Greetings.” It was a draft notice for U.S. Military Service, in which most of us followed the instructions and went off into the military. We were ‘chosen’ or ‘selected’ by the Selective Service System. Some of the individuals refused to serve and became ‘draft dodgers’ and hid from serving in the military. With that being said, many are ‘chosen’ to be soldiers but some are ‘draft dodgers’ even today in the Army of the Lord. They may not have run off to Canada or some backwoods area, but they are draft dodgers in God’s Army – or MIA. When one is chosen to serve God, they are on active duty and are called by God to serve the greatest General ever known, Jesus Christ. He has work for us to do.
At various times in the Bible, people ran from God when called and it turned out badly for them. Remember Jonah? God called him to go to Nineveh and instead, he fled to Tarshish and paid a terrible price. “the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.” (Jon 1:17) What a horrible ordeal! God blinded Saul of Tarsus (later the Apostle Paul) to get his attention. Many others ran from God one time including Moses, Elijah, David, Peter, and more. How about you? Are you running from God’s service? Are you Missing in Action? (MIA) God is serious about His service and has called you to be a soldier. Our answer? “Lord, reporting for duty.” Surrender to His service completely and prepare yourself for the Lord. He truly will guide you. “For this God is our God for ever and ever: he will be our guide even unto death.” (Ps 48:14)
Friend, Are you ready for battle ?
Thanks for “Taking 5" • Gary Waddell • Victory Ministries of Middle Tennessee
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