It is understandable that a person should face the consequences of past mistakes. But why do Christians go through so many afflictions despite the fact that they have converted to God?

These and many other questions have left many people who are born of the Spirit confused. However, we can find comforting answers in the story of the people of Israel.

Israel is a mountainous region. It was a custom in the old cities to build threshing floors on top of hills—remember Araunah’s threshing floor (2 Samuel 24.16)?

The threshing floor served at least two purposes. One was to winnow grain. To separate wheat from outer chaff, for example, they would beat and pound the kernels until the husk was loosened from the kernel. Then they would thresh the two by tossing up both in a windy area. In this way, the chaff was blown to the side, while the heavier wheat kernels fell onto the threshing floor.

The threshing floor also served as a Court of Justice. The elders of the city, such as judges, would gather there to judge the causes of the people. Because of its rounded shape, everyone sat opposite each other. All parties were heard and the elders decided.

It is clear that, in essence, the threshing floor was a place of trial and separation.

Those who are wheat stay; those who are not are blown to the side!

The struggles are many, but the reward… As it is written, “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him” (1 Corinthians 2.9).

Because of that, the Kingdom of God is taken by force and only the courageous, the brave and the strong take possession of it (Matthew 11.12).