The Faithful Wanderer

The Best Defense

In ancient times, a city’s main defense consisted of the thickness and height of its walls and the strength of its gates. An enemy army had three choices: tunnel under the city wall, use ladders to climb over the top, or smash through the bricks or stone. A city with a strong, well-defended wall and provisions could resist a siege for years.

But if the city’s wall was ever breached—especially in multiple places—the defenders would be hard pressed to stop enemy soldiers from swarming in and killing everyone.

A Powerful Verse

A few weeks ago, a verse about this subject really struck me.

Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self-control.    (Proverbs 25:28 NIV)

A Christian who lacks self-control is defenseless. Vulnerable. Easily defeated. The enemy can flood in, because there are too many openings. That’s a scary verse, because I’ve been undisciplined in many areas of my life.

So this verse is for me.

My Personal Conviction

For the last year or so, I have felt a growing sense of urgency to get my spiritual life in order. There are some signs that the Tribulation and Christ’s return to earth might happen soon.

And I’m not ready.

I’ve spent too many years being spiritually lazy, indulging my flesh and being “soft.”

Time for me to toughen up and enter “spiritual boot camp” where obedience to the Trinity is no longer optional.

My Thoughts on the End Times

We all know the prophesied End Times will come. But I don’t personally believe that Jesus will take us out early, in a pre-Tribulation rapture. Throughout the Bible, God has always challenged His people to shine as lights in a darkening world. 

There’s one other time mentioned in Scripture when the Almighty moved powerfully in a series of supernatural judgments—when He set His people free from slavery in Egypt. The ten plagues varied from a killing hailstorm, to three days of darkness, swarming frogs and water becoming blood.

Interestingly only the first three plagues had to be endured by Moses’ people. The last seven plagues didn’t touch the Jews at all. God supernaturally spared the land of Goshen, where Abraham’s descendants lived.

I believe that during the Tribulation, God’s people will again enjoy His protection and special care. Our Heavenly Father will be our Source.

I also believe the Tribulation will be a time of great harvest. The Lord will need Christian laborers to plant and reap souls for Christ as the world darkens. He’ll need us to shine as lights too.

Am I wrong about Jesus returning soon? I could be—easily. But it doesn’t really matter. I will grow into a better Christian because I’ve started to take God seriously.

So put your boots on.

It’s time to get ready.

The image of the broken stone wall is from Morguefile.com.

The image of the frog perched on the furniture came from Pixabay.com

Resources:

There are two meanings of “tribulation” in the original languages which interest me. In the Greek, the word is thlipsis, meaning a ‘ “pressing together” (as of grapes).’ In the Latin, the word tribulum meaning “a threshing sledge.” (biblestudytools.com)

Threshing and grape pressing both occur around harvest time. Workers in biblical times used a threshing sledge to break apart the grain from the chaff and a wine press to extract all the grape juice, in the first step to making wine.

To see images of what a threshing sledge looks like and how it’s used, click here.

Additional note: please be aware that I’m not a bible scholar and I don’t read Greek or Latin. I simply did a search for the biblical meaning of tribulation on the Internet. These same words also mean “affliction” and “distress.”