The future is unknown. We can only trust and believe that the loving mind and heart behind it all is in total control. What a comfort.
But we must know the unknown. Not the future- knowing that is barred to us, but to know that loving mind and heart. When God walked the Earth, no one recognised who He is, and His person and purpose was unknown. Except for John, who wrote these words of Scripture.
“among you stands one you do not know.”
John 1:26
We don’t need to remain unknown to Him, or He to us. He is revealed in the book of books, and if we read it with longing eyes we will see Him.
Rejection… It is so hard to bear. When those around you turn against you for no reason, or for reasons beyond your control. It is hard to to take. Rejection comes in many forms and manifests itself as bullying, abuse, ignoring, silence and many behaviours that can pass unnoticed, but contribute to the isolation of an individual.
Some people are quite blatant about it and will throw off anyone who causes them inconvenience. Others will try to hide it and think of excuses and use circumstances to leave someone out in the cold.
The Saviour Jesus knows all about it. The people in this world reject Him, despite what He has done for them. He knows and feels the crushing weight of loneliness and sorrow of being left out, and the terrible pain of rejection from those closest to Him, and who He so loved. He draws near to the broken hearted and binds up their wounds. People who suffer this know His presence most keenly and recognise His voice when He speaks.
The Lord Jesus was rejected because of who He is and His perfect example of how to live. People don’t like that, as it challenges them, so they finally got rid of Him and rejoiced at His suffering. If you suffer in this way, don’t be discouraged, as you must be following the path of Christ. Look at those who oppress you. Are they Christ-like? Keep to the way set before you and make friends with people going in the same direction. God will help you and give you strength that you didn’t know you had.
“Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given.”
John 1:16
Grace abounds to those who believe. You will never be rejected by your Lord. He gives grace and then more grace every day, that meets all our needs. Why worry about rejectors and oppressors? They will have their day. Only the grace of God can rescue us, forgive us and make us what He would have us be. Rejoice in the rejection, because you follow your Saviour as you walk that road. One day, very soon, He will return and all who have been side-lined will then rejoice with joy unspeakable. “Behold He comes” and we will reign with Him in eternal glory. Praise His glorious name forever.
“A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If I am a father, then where is my honor? And if I am a master, where is the respect due me? Says The Lord of Hosts, to you, priests, who despise my name. You say, ‘How have we despised your name?”
Malachi 1:6
In the usual course of human interactions and relationships, there are those who deserve and should have our regard and respect. Our father and mother should have the place of honour, because they are our Mother and Father, and because of what they have done for us. If we work for a boss or a manager, we must follow their directions and carry out our job as they wish us to. God is looking into the hearts of His people and watching the deeds of their hands, and saying to them that He is not experiencing honour or obedience from them.
God is the Eternal Father and the ultimate Master. He is the Father of all humankind, and the Master who rules over all things and determines their lives. Even though He is the ultimate authority and has total power, He is not receiving any respect from His creatures, even the ones who claim to believe in Him and worship Him. The priests of God’s temple are acting similarly. They do their own thing and have no respect for the will of God. They do things as they see fit. They think they are pleasing God, but no effort is made to understand His Word or find out about God’s character and purposes.
God points these things out to these priests, and they reply with rudeness, and a terse tone of voice. How dare God challenge them. What does He mean about despising his name?
These unbelieving servants are also unprofitable servants. They have no knowledge of God or what He is like. They somehow seem to have got the idea that they are the top of the tree, and God is somehow serving them. Why is He being so demanding? He should be grateful for what we do. So we see the notions in the unbelieving heart. We get everything wrong and think that God is here for our comfort, and the paltry worship we give and the money we give to Him- He should be grateful for it.
The fact that God is our authority and our master who we serve, has been cut out from our perception of Him. We have no fear of God and therefore we lack wisdom. We don’t understand that His demands are valid and we must obey Him. In this world of choice, we think we can love God or ignore Him. We have lost the concept that our God is a consuming fire. We never seem to think about the consequences of ignoring God, and disrespecting His Son, Jesus, or insulting the Holy Spirit. The idea of ultimate and everlasting punishment has gone from the collective idea in our culture, and we can take God or leave Him, and that is our choice.
The Scripture is clear about this. Those who reject Jesus Christ and refuse the sacrifice He made on the cross, will bear the weight of their own sins. God requires humility and repentance, but these words seem to have become meaningless in our present vocabulary.
We tend to blame God for our failures and and behave like spoilt children, who have no respect, even for the person to whom all things belong, and who holds our breath in His hands. We have embraced folly and made friends with self- orientated philosophy, which will drag us down into sin and death.
Children are commanded to respect and care for their Mothers and Fathers. Do we see this happening? If we do not even respect our earthly parents, why then can we say we respect God? Many are leaving, ignoring and disrespecting their parents, because they are “doing God’s work” or have their own family and therefore negate their responsibilities for the person who sacrificed life and spend endless effort on their up bringing. God tells us about this in His Word.
“But know this, that in the last days, grievous times will come. 2For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, fierce, no lovers of good, traitors, headstrong, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God; traitors a form of godliness, but having denied its power. Turn away from these, also.”
“The arrogant mock me without restraint, but I do not turn from your law.”
Psalm 119:51
The law of God is our constant foundation and daily teacher of His ways. We walk in the way of righteousness with delight and careful obedience. There is no fear in this condition. God’s eternal law has no revoking. It stands forever the same in every history and cultural heritage. We are therefore able to rest secure in its everlasting power.
It is a truth that holds us fast, and keeps us steady and faithful to our Lord. When scoffers abound, we remain unmoved and know that we are true and safe.
Only the arrogant who go their own way and follow falsehoods, will go astray from this law. They will mock those who remain true to God and do not cave in to the social and emotional pressure that they are put under by these ungodly people. Christians are put under enormous pressure by outside forces, to turn and join in with the sinful lifestyles and mindsets all around. Mocking is particularly difficult to bear as it is humiliating.
Our Saviour, Jesus, knows all about it. Even if the opposition comes from your own family, we have the strength to bear it, because we revere the Lord before all others, and trust in the holy law of the Word of God.
The arrogant will never succeed. They will be revealed to be who they really are and you will walk in with the Lord, rich in His provision.
There are leaders who hold almost total control and influence over the people they are supposed to care for. They use the people to bolster up their self-image and worth. They are manipulators and abuses of the human will and psyche. Their words cause fear and a need to acquiesce to the wishes of the leader. This is bullying in a grand scale and we don’t even recognise it. The names of God are used to justify and validate the words and behaviour of these spiritual blights.
Christian people must use their God-like and God- orientated minds to understand who is speaking the truth of God. Even the Scriptures are used and twisted to justify certain life-style choices and to uphold a status quo that oppressed people and causes misery and heartache.
There are leaders who will thoughtlessly and selfishly speak against other Christians who live differently from them, to gain a moral leverage in their own minds. They will ruin lives and cause untold prejudice towards others. Leaders will do it openly, as their followers always follow, since they are well grounded in the slanderous ways of speaking and thinking that come straight from hell. It keeps Christians in chains and unbelievers out of the kingdom of God.
Examine the heart and see what is there. Never mind what you have heard or been taught. Look and see if you are true and that your heart speaks rightly to your conscience. Do not join the ranks of the slanderers, even if it means you are alone. God is with you.
“By wisdom a house is built and by understanding it is established; through knowledge its rooms are filled with every precious and beautiful treasure.”
The human life is so precious and all that happens to us is crucial to our character and wellbeing. To be mistreated is a dreadful situation and abuse is completely detrimental to our human psyche and soul. We must learn to guard ourselves and not let any unclean ideas into our minds. This world is intent in keeping us down and quiet and we must seek wisdom and understanding.
Our lives can be beautiful and full of wonderful things that we can enjoy about ourselves. To know ourselves and love ourselves and our own company is the blessing of God. All our life will have these marks of beauty and we will understand how precious we are and therefore guard our hearts and minds again all negativity and hurt.
I’ve just come out of hospital for the umpteenth time. It is so painful to be ill and so painful to fight to be better. I let go of God and couldn’t think of Him, but my Father has not let go of me. I cannot read my Bible or pray much, but God is leading me to greater things and higher ground. I don’t know what that is, but I trust my guide implicitly and He will provide everything.
At the moment, I am doing whatever I like and setting up my home the way I want it to be. I have funds, which I have never had before. I have lost my husband, my whole family and everything familiar and I am scared out of my wits. I have to learn to relax and trust the good judgment that God has given me.
“Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again; from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up. You will increase my honor and comfort me once more.”
Psalm 71: 20-21
The Lord of all will always bring His children through the darkest and most rigorous of trials. He is able to do that because of who He is. I trust Him enough to not have to constantly think of Him, Bible verses or hymns. I will walk confidently with the Lord my God to whom all glory belongs.
“Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path. I have taken an oath and confirmed it, that I will follow your righteous laws. I have suffered much; preserve my life, Lord, according to your word. Accept, Lord, the willing praise of my mouth, and teach me your laws.”
Psalm 119:105-108
The Word of God is our lamp to show our feet where to go. It is a light that shows up the pathway. The Christian promises to follow the right laws that are this light.
We may suffer much, but our Lord will preserve our lives, as His Word promises that He will. We humbly ask Him to accept the praise from our mouths, that glorify Him and thank Him for all that He does for us, every day.
As we walk the pathway in the light of God, God will teach us His laws and precepts, so that we are wise and know how to live and speak for His glory. Let us look beyond suffering and loss and see Christ, the light of the world.
Daughters of the Kingdom 