Monday, December
4, 2023
Luke 6:22-23
22
Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from
their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the
Son of man's sake.
23
Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in
heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets.
Leaping
for joy is not our first or natural response to being hated and abused. Either
God doesn’t understand our pain, or we don’t understand His perspective. I
think the latter might be the best guess. God does not think like we do, and he
doesn’t mark time the way that we do. Our frustration at His patience while we
endure trials is due totally to our failed understanding. There is little hope
of reconciling our thinking without a healthy dose of faith in the unseen.
When,
for our innocent attempts to serve the Lord and
to serve people, we become the victims of rejection and harsh abuse, we find
ourselves in some rare company. Jesus said: “for in like manner did they unto
the prophets.” We do not feel worthy to sit with such a company but that
is exactly where Jesus has placed those who suffer on His behalf. Paul suffered
the equivalent of being run out of town. This was not the mega-church welcome that
many of today’s servants have come to expect.
Acts 9:23-25
23
And after that many days were fulfilled, the Jews took counsel to kill him:
24
But their laying await was known of Saul. And they watched the gates day and night
to kill him.
25 Then
the disciples took him by night, and let him down by the wall in a basket.
Since
Christianity has been driven from the streets and
forced to reside inside the walls of churches, that has now become the devil’s
battle ground. Pretend Christians and real Christians sit together at worship,
and it is inevitable that conflict will be the result. When we try to redefine
genuine Christianity to fit a personal or particular mold then we exclude anyone
that doesn’t fit. It’s painful but it’s common.
Paul
urged young Timothy to “endure hardness” as a good soldier of Jesus Christ (2
Timothy 2:3). The word “endure” speaks nothing of strategy or tactics. It
simply points out that spiritual conflict will be cruel and uncomfortable. Brace
yourself! Experience, hope and boldness are the products of pain.
Read it for yourself in the following verses.
Rom 5:3-5
3
And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation
worketh patience;
4
And patience, experience; and experience, hope:
5 And
hope maketh not ashamed; [makes us bold and confident] because the love of God
is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
Dear
Lord, it seems we have been lied to when we have been led to believe that Christian
service involves large adoring crowds, fancy clothes, and big smiles. In reality,
we soon learn that we are battling a foe that is hell bent on destroying us. Let
us brace ourselves for the conflict and sternly endure the trouble that comes
with serving you. Only be our captain! AMEN
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