RETREAT! RETREAT!! RETREAT!!!.. Shouted the Captain of the armies. It was a sharp command and so sudden (but there is a popular slogan in the military force which says "OBEY THE LAST COMMAND") and immediately the soldier retreated. They all ran back to their base to receive instruction from their captain and to re-strategize for their next move.
On getting to camp the Captain made them to understand that there was danger ahead but they were so engrossed with the current battle and did not see that what lay ahead was dangerous and more fiercer than they could imagine and Him, being the Captain and Commander of the army has that foresight and had seen ahead that His armies are not prepared for this and with the rate at which they were going, the war ahead will consume them because they were not prepared for it. That was why He had to command them to RETREAT, so that they can prepare and be ready for what lies ahead and confront it without fear.
You know that there is this fear or lack of confidence that comes when you are not prepared for something but when you are fully prepared, there is this courage and inner confidence that you have that " Yes, I am ready"...
Dear Christians, the year is gradually coming to an end and the curtains for this year is drawing close to wrap the year up, battles have been fought, victories have been won, there have been challenges that weighed you down, there have been problems that seemed to or even swallowed you up, there have been lack and want at some points in life, there have been crying, mourning and depression at other points but yet as a Christian soldier in the army of God you still press forward, you keep fighting because you know that you have put your hand on the plough and there is no turning back. So amidst the tears, amidst the blurred vision, amidst the shattered dreams and expectations, amidst the pains, sorrow and frustration, you still forge ahead and keep on fighting... Kudos to you dear Soldier of the Cross but now the Commander and Captain of the Army of the Lord is shouting RETREAT! RETREAT!! RETREAT!!!
What does it mean to Retreat?
The English dictionary gave various definition of RETREAT and they are:
The act of pulling back or withdrawing, as from something dangerous, or unpleasant.
The act of reversing direction and receding from a forward position.
A peaceful, quiet place affording privacy or security.
A period of retirement, seclusion, or solitude.
A period of meditation, prayer or study.
Withdrawal by military force from a dangerous position or from enemy attack.
Hitherto has the Lord helped us but now is the time to RETREAT, now is the time to come apart and to be refreshed, refilled, rejuvenated, re-enlightened, re- empowered and re-strategize for the battle ahead.
Dear Christian, let's go through the Bible and see the account of people that had to retreat and reasons why retreat is necessary...
1) TO SETTLE LONG TIME BATTLES WITH GOD ON YOUR KNEES FIRST AND THEN RECEIVE FAVOUR FROM GOD AND MAN.
Example of someone that did this in the Bible is
JACOB AT JABBOK: The threat had been so much, he had long ran away from where he called home, he had deceitfully robbed his brother of his birthright and taken the blessing meant for his brother; He has a family now and needed to go back home but his brother was coming to fight him and he needed to retreat to seek the face of God and settle things with God first before He faced his brother, because the King's heart is in the hand of the Lord and like a river of water HE turns it whithersoever HE will (Proverb 21:1). So Jacob had to retreat to meet with God and he prevailed and obtained favour before his brother "And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day. And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob. And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed." "And Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck, and kissed him: and they wept."
There is a saying that goes like this "He who kneels before God can stand before any man"
2) WHEN THE BATTLE IS STRONGER THAN YOU AND MIGHT SEEM TO OVERWHELM YOU.
Example here is DAVID (1Samuel23): The people of Keilah came to beg David to fight for them against the Philistines that were robbing them, David enquired of God to know if he should go and help them and God gave him the go ahead. After defeating the Philistines, this same people of Keilah wanted to hand David over to his enemy that was hunting for his life (King Saul). David had to enquire of God again to find out if the people of Keilah will deliver him to Saul and God told him that they would.
You see believers, here is where we need the wisdom of God to know when to retreat, some people might say it is the will of God that they should hand me over to Saul because God had said it but no it's not true, God had revealed the plans of the enemy so that you can take wise and prayerful actions. David had to run away from Keilah, mind you if he had stayed, Saul would have caught him and he might not be king even though he had been anointed. We need to know when to retreat.
3) TO PREVENT US FROM TAKING ACTIONS WE WOULD END UP REGRETTING IN FUTURE.
DAVID was about to go and kill Nabal for refusing to help him and his men when they needed it most but God used Nabal's wife ABIGAIL to stop David (I.e, to make him retreat) from taking such actions. Hear what David said "And David said to Abigail, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, which sent thee this day to meet me: And blessed be thy advice, and blessed be thou, which hast kept me this day from coming to shed blood, and from avenging myself with mine own hand. For in very deed, as the Lord God of Israel liveth, which hath kept me back from hurting thee, except thou hadst hasted and come to meet me, surely there had not been left unto Nabal by the morning light any that pisseth against the wall."
4) TO SHARPEN YOUR SPIRITUAL SENSES SO AS TO BE ABLE TO GET DIVINE SIGNAL AND KNOW WHEN GOD IS ASKING YOU TO STOP.
As Christians, you need to be at alert and know what God is saying presently. You need to always be in tune with the present will of God so that you don't find yourself staying in a place where God has long left or trying to carry out an instruction that has become obsolete. You need your spiritual senses to be sharpened to know what God wants NOW.
Example of someone that had his Spiritual senses sharpened and was in tune with God is ABRAHAM:
A time came and God wanted to test Abraham's consecration to HIM and God asked him to go to a particular mountain and sacrifice his only son Isaac. Abraham obeyed but God did not stop him until he had taken the knife to slay his son, then he was stopped by an Angel of God... "And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son. And the angel of the Lord called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I. And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me."
See, Abraham's senses were sharpened that was why he heard God and retreated (stayed back from sacrificing his only son) but some Christians are not so, they don't listen to the last command, in fact they don't hear the last command, their spiritual ear has been blocked with different things. Here is why a retreat is necessary to open up your spiritual senses.
5) WHEN YOUR STRENGTH IS EXHAUSTED AND YOU ARE ABOUT TO GIVE UP.
Example of someone in the Bible is ELIJAH:
Jezebel had been killing the Prophets and she had threatened to kill Elijah. Elijah had to retreat (run for his life) and went into the wilderness to communicate his predicament to God. It was there that God sent an Angel to feed him and he went in the strength of that meat for forty days and forty night. (1Kings 19:1-8).
When you strength is exhausted and you are about to give up, go on a retreat, wait upon the Lord and He shall renew your strength.
6) TO REMIND YOU AND RENEW YOU FOR THE PURPOSE FOR WHICH GOD CALLED YOU AND TO CLARIFY THE ASSIGNMENT HE HAS COMMITTED INTO YOUR HANDS.
Example here is ELIJAH, after he has been strengthened by the Angelic food, God visited him and gave him an assignment to do.. "And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice. And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah? And he said, I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts: because the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away. And the Lord said unto him, Go, return on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus: and when thou comest, anoint Hazael to be king over Syria: And Jehu the son of Nimshi shalt thou anoint to be king over Israel: and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy room. And it shall come to pass, that him that escapeth the sword of Hazael shall Jehu slay: and him that escapeth from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha slay. Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him."
7) TO REST A WHILE FROM YOUR LABOUR AND GET REFRESHED FOR THE TASK AHEAD.
Example here is when JESUS was with His disciples here on earth, a time came when he told them "And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat. And they departed into a desert place by ship privately"
8) WHEN YOU NOTICE THAT THE WORK OF THE FLESH HAS STARTED COMING UP
There are times when Christians become weak and the work of the flesh seems to come up, things like Pride, envy, jealousy, lust, malice, covetousness, anger and so on. This is an indication that you need to go on a retreat and let the Lord deal with these fleshly activities in your life and feed your Spirit man with the Word of God and Prayer.
Dear Christians, we have seen why we need a retreat at this point in time, the work ahead is greater and you need to have a one-on-one time with God for Strength, Power, Wisdom, Vision, Grace and Strategy to be able to face the battles ahead and come out victorious...
Remember what the Word of God says in " Proverbs 24:10 (If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.)"
I pray that the Lord will help us so we will not faint in the day of adversity but for this to be possible....
CHRISTIANS RETREAT AND REFIRE🔥🔥🔥.
SHALOM.
©Winnie
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