The Brave Little Soldier

I went to see the new Avengers movie the other day. It was incredible, the cinematography, the soundtrack, acting, the explosions; all of it amazing! However, there were many points in the movie where it felt like the good guys were being defeated and it reminded me of a picture that God recently put into my head.

There once was a little soldier with a shield and a sword going up

against a huge, ugly, powerful monster. God told the soldier to attack the monster. And so with all his might, the tiny soldier swings at the monster, but the monster is too big and the soldier can't even get close without having to put up his shield to ward off the monster's blows. This poor little soldier is swinging whenever he can, but not seeming to make any contact with the monster, and the monster keeps pummelling the poor little soldier's shield. The soldier is beaten down over and over again, but slowly, painfully, keeps getting back up. Sometimes it takes days to get back on his feet, some days he doesn't even manage a swing before the monster beats him down again, but the soldier stands his ground because God commanded him to fight.

All this time, the soldier is feeling more and more discouraged: the monster is no more defeated now that when the soldier first started, but what the soldier didn't realize was that every time he took a blow by the monster, he was getting stronger. His muscles were growing in the same way that they do when you go to the gym; this was just accelerated much more due to the continual strain. And all the while, God is proudly looking on as His little soldier is becoming exactly who God intended him to become. Beating the monster was never the intended outcome; God could easily swipe that monster away with a little flick of his finger. The intended outcome was the strengthening of the soldier, but it had to be done by attacking the monster. Otherwise, the soldier would not have been forced to grow so quickly, and would not have taken the time required to make that growth.

There have been so many days where I have felt like the little soldier, getting beaten down over and over again. I have felt like I am being tested constantly and failing every single day. And yet, as I look back, I see that God is taking my failures and transforming them into beautiful strength in relying upon Him especially when things look bleak and impossible.
Maybe you're going through something today that seems overwhelming and defeating, please, take heart; God is doing some incredible things. He often seems slow, but the Bible reminds us that He is not slow in keeping His promises (2 Pet. 3:9); His timing is perfect and He is at work even today!  Friends, I pray that God would bring you a glimpse of what He is doing behind the curtain; that glimmer of hope to keep going and keep fighting this hard, but good fight.