"…I am with you to deliver you, says the Lord.” —Jeremiah 1:8
“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. … 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).” Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest
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, assuming that you are the cause of the trouble,
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.
“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.” – Romans 12:17-21
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!.
Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it –
Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.
By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His
Glory Alone
No comments:
Post a Comment