Listening to the Holy Spirit:
In days past, even as I walked, great suffering of those of the Kingdom, for sin is not without victim, and the purpose of God deeper than the suffering of man. One lifetime cannot span its breadth, but all have part in its completeness – suffering in part, also joy and peace. He who bears My Name is called to both. Far greater suffering was in the beginning, and greater still the sufferings of the end. The earth shall groan again as sin reigns and rebellion rises, but take heart, it is in these present days of life where the light has grown greatest. The sin remains and grows, but the world knows in great now which it did not know. The great reach of God’s people has grown to many from few. Many more walk truly in My Spirit, and those that have suffered, or shall suffer, shall not do so in vain. Even those called to death in faith, gain for that death a life that counts all death and suffering as an instant, forgetting completely its sting for the surpassing greatness of true life. Do not mourn, for your days are far brighter than the dim past, and are far exceeding those coming. For you stand upon the mountaintop of earthly freedom in my Name, do not squander in woe which should be celebrated in thankfulness.
1Thess 5:16-18 – (ESV) – Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
Psalm 23:5 (ESV) – You prepare a table before me, in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil: my cup overflows.
Phil 4:8 (ESV) – Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
Taking It to Work:
Are you a glass half-empty, or a glass half-full type person? I tend to be halfway between the two. Here’s why. If I listen to too much news, either the fake variety or the true variety, it tends to drag me down (both of them). Then my view of the world becomes half empty, but if I can be disciplined enough to pull away from all the talking heads, and concentrate on the good things that surround me, none of which are on the news by the way, my heart grows thankful, and I’m half-full again.
Today’s devotional is a reminder from our Lord that we have it pretty good. In fact, we are likely living in a time, or slightly past it, that Christianity as a whole, in the free nations of the world, and Christians themselves living in those nations, have had the easiest, most blessed lives since Jesus introduced Himself to the human race.
It took them only three years to execute Jesus from His first declaration of who He was. Over the next five or six decades most of the apostles were executed for speaking to the world of who Jesus was and what He did. For century after century that followed, brutality rained down believers like you and me, with just a mere hint of faith in Christ being sufficient for a death warrant. From there, violence from within and outside the church battered the body of Christ time and time again, all the way up to fairly recent history.
By God’s grace and great providence, today the Name of Jesus is claimed by almost 2.4 billion people on the earth, and much of that incredible number is due to the unprecedented freedom of the last century or two, where God has blessed a land called America, which has had a huge part in spreading the message of Christ throughout the world; a land where the very government was formed under Biblical precepts, and by His grace alone, most of us were born and raised.
I know we are backsliding. I know the direction the culture is going. I’ve read the back of the Book too. But, sit back and think of how wonderful in reality we have it compared to all of history. The glass in not just half full. I’d say with David, our cup overfloweth!
Take that good news to work, and to heart, as His Word works in you, today.
