Advancing the Kingdom of God is no easy task. The forces of darkness are ever at work to plant doubt and fear in your heart. Not only that, but If one is not careful, the spirit of despair, destruction and death could be some of the tactics used by the forces of darkness and evil to distract one from the tasks at hand. The Apostle Paul, writing to the Corinthian Christians in 1 Corinthians 9:25 declared, “Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever” (NIV).
As Servants of the most High God, our faith will be stretched as we continue to run this race. Attacks will come from every side and cause some to faint. Some will give up, while others could become indecisive in their faith. It is said that, when you are being stretched spiritually, your faith in God grows. When you are being stretched mentally, your old ideas are challenged and replaced with new ones. When you are being stretched relationally, selfishness dies and love grows.

God allows us to have stretching experiences. If you are being stretched now see it as God preparing you for the race that he has called you to run in life. No amount of strength and no amount of pressing will move the problem. Sometimes, these are not the real test; they are just the prelude to future challenges ahead. In other words, they are points of reference which are designed to keep you from panicking when you are in the real race. God never allows a person to run for him, or with him, who has not been stretched in their thinking, their faith, and their ability to live and love. When you face a problem that won’t move, remind yourself that God is stretching you in order for you to exercise your faith.

Continue reading in The Information - June 2017