"…I am with you to deliver you," says the Lord.
—Jeremiah 1:8
{CHAMBERS} “God
promised Jeremiah that He would deliver him personally— “…your life shall be as
a prize to you…” (Jeremiah 39:18). That is all God promises His children.
Wherever God sends us, He will guard our lives. Our personal property and
possessions are to be a matter of indifference to us, and our hold on these
things should be very loose. If this is not the case, we will have panic,
heartache, and distress. Having the proper outlook is evidence of the deeply
rooted belief in the overshadowing of God’s personal deliverance. The Sermon on
the Mount indicates that when we are on a mission for Jesus Christ, there is no
time to stand up for ourselves. Jesus says, in effect, “Don’t worry about
whether or not you are being treated justly.” Looking for justice is actually a
sign that we have been diverted from our devotion to Him. Never look for
justice in this world, but never cease to give it. If we look for justice, we
will only begin to complain and to indulge ourselves in the discontent of
self-pity, as if to say, “Why should I be treated like this?” If we are devoted
to Jesus Christ, we have nothing to do with what we encounter, whether it is
just or unjust. In essence, Jesus says, “Continue steadily on with what I have
told you to do, and I will guard your life. If you try to guard it yourself,
you remove yourself from My deliverance.” […] We put our common sense on the
throne and then attach God’s name to it. We do lean to our own understanding,
instead of trusting God with all our hearts (see Proverbs 3:5-6).”
{ELGIN} I just
had a long conversation with someone yesterday about this very thing. Unjust treatment from someone very close to
their heart. There is nothing that hurts
so deeply as betrayal by someone you love and trust. So what do you do with that? Certainly there is sorrow … but we should not
be surprised. Do not look to the world
.. even to those closest to you for affirmation .. look to the hills (Psalm
121:1). When it happens to us, our first response is to try and think of a way
to fix it .. to find restoration … the problem is that it is not your
problem. It is the one who betrayed your
trust that must repent .. you can’t coax them into it . .talk them into it …
pummel them with scriptural reasons why they should not be that way. Only conviction by the Holy Spirit and their
submission to that conviction will result in the restoration that you
seek. So what can you do? Well …. It’s simple really … show them Jesus.
(Romans 12:17-21)
“Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes
of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with
everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath,
for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. On the
contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him
something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do
not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
This is not a natural response but a supernatural one. The natural response is to return evil for
evil. People who care about you may give
you a number of reasons why you should not return good for the evil they have
done. When anyone gives us advice in
times like this, we must always look to the Word to see what God has to say
about it. And don’t expect your flesh –
your old nature – to like it. Times like
this are a test .. that’s right – a test of your new nature. Responding by faith with obedience to the Word
of God requires that we see “the substance of things hoped for and the evidence
of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1)
And in doing so you bring glory to God and lift up Jesus to all those around
you. Now what could be better than that? Nothing – that’s what!
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