Thursday, December 4,
2025
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, because of 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 model 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.
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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