Slander and Lies

Matthew 5:11-12 Blessed are you, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

We don’t like this. Not at all. We want things to be GREAT. We are Christians, and this is our ‘best life now,’ we are told.

We just aren’t told that by Jesus. He tells us that if we do love Him and follow Him, what we are going to get in this life is anything BUT ‘our best life now.’ David lamented about it. Job faced it. Isaiah and Ezekiel warns of it. Jesus puts it best, as recorded in Luke 6:22; Blessed are you when men hate you, and ostracize you, and insult you, and scorn your name as evil, for the sake of the Son of Man.

No, we want safety and happiness and joy and security and money and nice neighbors and big cars and stuff. But if we look and see what Scripture says, we will get ALL of that-but bigger and greater, and in ways we cannot dream. All we have to do is put up with a little bit of scorn and maybe some hateful Facebook messages. Here in America, we don’t have to put up with what the prophets of old had, to contend with. But Jesus said it would happen. And He promised us GREAT rewards because of it.

Scripture:

Psalm 9:13

Isaiah 66:5-6

Mark 13:11-13

John 15:18-19

Prayer: Father, it’s hard to be joyful and excited when we stop to think that there are people who hate us BECAUSE they hate You. I ask that you forgive them of their anger and hatred, that they turn not on me but to You. For You and You alone can save them from themselves. Help me to see their need for You, no matter what they do to me, so I can bear witness to You. Help me always to hold that rejoicing in my heart, as it helps remind me that You have been here and faced much worse, all so I could someday live in Paradise with You.