Is God Making You Drown Proof?
Joshua Crawford
The Navy Seals are known for extreme training methods to prepare their soldiers for unpredictable, life-threatening situations. One of the most jaw-dropping training methods used is drown proofing, which requires a soldier’s hands and feet to be bound while performing various strenuous tasks underwater. At first glance, this may seem unnecessary and cruel, but consider that Navy Seals are asked to complete missions too dangerous for even other members of the military; it’s essential they prepare for challenges we can hardly imagine.
As Christians, we’re also given a larger than life mission that goes above and beyond life’s traditional call of duty. In 1 Peter 2:9, the Apostle Paul says we’re, “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession…” Wouldn’t you say that’s quite a mission in this life? This verse calls each of us out of a passive civilian life and into a journey of passionate service for a greater purpose.
If our purpose for the kingdom of God is so grand, even more grand than the purposes of a Navy Seal, shouldn’t we expect similar, extreme training protocols from God’s hand as He prepares us for missions in the future? Psalm 18:34 declares, “He trains my hands for war, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.” We all want the ability to bend a bow of bronze or rise above any difficult circumstance, but are we willing to endure the necessary training methods like the Navy Seals?
None of us know the battles which lie ahead in this life, but our sovereign God knows. When the prophet Jeremiah complained about the easy life of the wicked and the trying life he’d been given, the Lord replied, “If you have raced with men on foot, and they have wearied you, how will you compete with horses?” (Jeremiah 12:5) God knew the challenges that were ahead for Jeremiah and He knows what’s ahead for us, as well. Since we know His way to be perfect (Psalm 18:30), we can trust His training will condition us for future challenges.
The trials of life are hard, especially the unexpected ones, and it all can sometimes look cruel and unnecessary. Could we be incorrectly viewing God’s highly-effective training methods as punishment? A.W. Tozer stated, “What comes into our mind when we think about God is the most important thing about us.” What if life’s painful moments are part of a well-planned training regimen designed to forge a special people equipped to bring God’s kingdom to this world?
Do we trust the Lord as a good drill sergeant who won’t push us too far and break us? Do we trust that God abides by His own promise in Romans 8:28 to work everything to our good? Do we trust the Lord’s ways of making us drown proof?
Romans 8:29 Ministries 
Dear Josh, This is most excellent! We have utmost respect for the Navy Seals. Spiritually, I feel nearly the past month has been some “Seal training.” We need to realize the God used Satan, as a servant, even in this training. As I mentioned in booklet, the apostle Peter indeed “meant well,” wanting to protect the Lord from suffering and death, but he received as strong rebuke and chastisenent from the Lord, for he was actually taking part in Satasn’t agenda to the the purpose of God from happening. So later Jesus told Peter that Satan desired him, so as to “sift him as wheat”–but Jesus Himself would be prayers for Peter. That is why I say that God even used Satan and even other Christians for this Godly “Seal training.”–Paw Paw
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