Encouragement for Weary Soldiers
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And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
Introduction.
One of the hardest things for Bro. Branham to explain to people was his own physical weakness when he saw visions. If God works through you in such a great way why do you need to be carried from the platform?
Those visions, that’s what weakens me, the Supernatural working on a natural man. Someone met me and tell me about that picture. Said, “Brother Branham, that don’t look like you.”
I said, “Well, if that was saying that the Angel of God was that close to you that it was, it probably does change you a little bit.” Now, think of being under that constantly day in and out.
Then I have to get out somewhere and give vent to myself. If you don’t, why, you just…You just get so weak, you can’t hardly go. It look like your strength is just gone. 50-0821 - The Angel And The Commission
Jesus experienced the same thing:
And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes?
Strength left Him.
You would think that whatever energy you use for the Lord, he would just replenish that, but it’s not how He works.
Jesus did not have superhuman strength when He carried the cross, in fact he found Himself unable to carry it any further, and they compelled Simon the Cyrene to carry His cross.
Every moment from the sleepless night he spent in the garden to the moment He cried “It is Finished” and gave up the ghost He had to press through the tiredness and weakness of His own body. But He did it for a reason.
Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Paul had to do the same thing.
Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
No army could fight long if it left it’s soldiers constantly on the front line, or if it provided no resources to rest the weary. God’s army is no different. When the breaking point is reached, He always provides just what we need to keep fighting.
Samson - Water
And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking, that he cast away the jawbone out of his hand, and called that place Ramath-lehi.
And he was sore athirst, and called on the Lord, and said, Thou hast given this great deliverance into the hand of thy servant: and now shall I die for thirst, and fall into the hand of the uncircumcised?
The battle made him thirsty. Be careful that you don’t get spiritually dehydrated while you’re fighting battles for the Lord.
But God clave an hollow place that was in the jaw, and there came water thereout; and when he had drunk, his spirit came again, and he revived: wherefore he called the name thereof En-hakkore, which is in Lehi unto this day.
The spring of one calling. He was thirsty in the line of duty, so God provided water.
Elijah - Rest
But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.
And he looked, and, behold, there was a cake baken on the coals, and a cruse of water at his head. And he did eat and drink, and laid him down again.
And the angel of the Lord came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee.
60 You know, people under the juniper tree is like Elijah, they like to sleep. I preach to more tired people than anybody in the world. People is so tired. They’re so mentally strained until they’re filling the insane institutions and the hospitals, everywhere.
They’re went in such a nervous condition till they don’t know what they do believe, and what they want. They’re just laying there. They don’t know what to do. Oh, it’s such a sad sight.
There he laid, under the juniper tree. He didn’t know what to do. His nerves was broke. He was shaking. He was crying, no doubt. And he was in a terrible condition.
Many of us hit those places, especially after a Mount Carmel experience. What can be done for us at that time? There’s only one thing to do: commit yourself to God. Now, I know that a man can overwork himself, and a man can underwork himself, a man.
God knowed this man need feeding. He needed something to eat. And under this place here, where he was laying, God had to do something for him. 59-0301E - What Does Thou Here?
And the poor little fellow, skinny, laying there and his gray hair hanging over his shoulders…God said, “My servant needs some rest.” God’s mercy to his servant, He just laid him down on the bunch of weeds and he went to sleep.
I’d imagine there was ten thousand Angels watching him sleep. There’s one assurance the believer has, though the world turned him down, yet God loves him.
The world may call you holy-roller; they may call you fanatic; but if you’re true to God there’s one sure thing: God loves you, and His Angels are encamped about those who fear Him.
23 I’d imagine on every limb, all around through the place, was swarms of Angels. And God came down, and He said, “My poor little tired servant. He’s so nervous and tore up, he don’t know what to do. I want to pick out the Angel standing here that’s got the softest hands.
Don’t you scare him; walk over and stroke his brow right easy. And I want the best cook among you, and go up there, and get all the vitamins that you can find, and put in this corn meal. The world’s turned him down, but I’m going to treat him right.” Hallelujah.
“Bring forth the best that we got; cook him a corn cake and set him down some water.” And this soft-handed Angel went over and stroked the little servant of God on the brow.
Remember, if you’ve done your best, God’s still got those Angels in order. He loves you just the same as He loved Elijah. 59-0412E - What Hearest Thou, Elijah?
Moses - Support