68. WHAT YOU’RE GOING THROUGH IS NOTHING NEW

Tweet Pin Like Share Email

Many times, when, as Christians, we have not been treated right by others, feel down and are nursing our wounds, the enemy comes and tries to convince us (so as to make us feel all the more worse), that we are the only ones that are facing our particular challenge and that nobody understands or can identify with what we are going through. This is to make us feel all the more isolated, as if everyone around us is out of touch with our ordeal, that they are enjoying life while we are suffering and that God has singled us out to bear things that he has not put any of his other children through.

I gather that one of the reasons the enemy does this is to make us feel resentful, to try to make us believe that God is unfair, unjust and prejudiced against us, so as to increase our sense of loneliness in this world, even as part of the body of Christ.

Yet, what the enemy tries to convince us of is a lie. Even if we don’t know of them, there are people today who are going through exactly what we are going through and some worse. This is not to downplay the pain we feel when dealing with life’s difficulties and people’s injustices. Yet, it is important when we find ourselves in such situations, to remember that there are those before us who have endured what we are presently enduring and those who are doing so at present. Furthermore, when we are dead and gone, for as long as God chooses for this world to continue, there will be people who will continue to experience whatever pain we have experienced in life.

No experience is new. As Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes 1:4, 9-10:

“One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever…The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun. Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us.”

Relationships gone awry, heartbreak, hurt, betrayal, disappointment and rejection are not new. Feeling sad and low because of singleness or barrenness or even widowhood are not new. Facing financial difficulties or medical woes or family or work trouble are not unprecedented. It has all happened before, it is happening to other people and it will continue happening even after we have left this life’s landscape.

I am reminded from the Word, that many of the things that I face or have been called to bear in this life which I find particularly painful, difficult and trying, other people, men and women of God, have gone through similar things in their lives. My experience is not isolated. God is not putting me through something that he has never allowed his children to go through before. It is important therefore, that I don’t adopt the attitude of victimhood and to feel that somehow, what God is allowing is unfair. He does whatever he does for his divine purposes and even if I go through all of life and never understand why, he remains God and everything he does is perfect.

Below are some examples of things that people go through from time to time, which, although they are definite sources of grief, there is evidence in the scriptures that there are those as far back as in the Bible days, that also went through them…and got through them. People can therefore take comfort in the fact that the particular difficulty that they face, even if not listed below, is not new to God. He has seen his children go through the very same things in the past and got them through them, even as he is able to do for you and me.

Some difficulties that people face as a result of other people, have faced and will continue to face for as long as there are imperfect and sinful people on the earth are as follows:

1. Being persecuted and hated for doing what is right, for embracing truth without compromise and serving the true and living God

Like us, who are tempted to believe when we are at a low place in life, especially as a result of the injustice of others, that we alone are going through what we are going through, Elijah the Prophet, found himself in such a situation. He had stood for what was right by having all the false prophets of baal slain and now, Jezebel the Queen was pursuing after him to kill him. He was therefore running for his life.

Overwhelmed by it all, he reached the point where he did not want to continue on. His burden was made all the more worse, as he was convinced that he alone remained alive, of those who had chosen to be faithful to God and not give in to idolatry.

It is one thing to feel weary by life’s challenges. It is another to feel that nobody else is going through what we are going through. The pain is all the more intensifie and this is how Elijah felt.

In 1 Kings 18:22, before he had been threatened by Jezebel and used by God mightily to pray that he would answer by fire, the Word of God says: “Then said Elijah unto the people, I, even I only, remain a prophet of the Lord; but Baal’s prophets are four hundred and fifty men.”

This tells me that, even before his life had been threatened, Elijah had begun to internalize that he alone remained of those who were faithful to God and was significantly outnumbered by the enemies of the Lord.

Later on, when on the run, so weary was he, that in verse 4, he asked God to take his life. Then, in 1 Kings 19: 9-10, it states of him:

“And he came thither unto a cave, and lodged there; and, behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and he said unto him, What doest thou here, Elijah? And he said, I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.”

The thought that he alone was left, in a place God that had gone mad with unrighteousness, clearly was a source of discouragement for Elijah. Upon being asked the question a second time therefore, his reply was the same. He was convinced that he alone was going through this particular challenge of seeking to serve God faithfully, among a people that had embraced idolatry. Yet, God, who knew all things and saw all things, informed him that this was not at all the case. There were other men and women, unknown to Elijah, who were also faithfully serving God in those difficult times and therefore were also most likely dealing with battles as well.

God told him in verse 18 and it must have come as a surprise to Elijah: “Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him.”

Seven thousand! It was not just a small number of people who could identify with how Elijah felt. It was a significant number. Elijah was not alone in the world as he had thought. There were seven thousand people also going through what they were going through and probably being called to make sacrifices because they had chosen to remain faithful to God, come what may.

In this modern day world, at times I will admit that I feel discouraged as I see an increasing level of what I consider to be madness, enveloping the Church. Standards are being dissipated, doctrine is being disregarded and increasingly, although people sit in the pews, more and more people are seemingly doing whatever seems right in their own eyes.

It has been a great source of discouragement for me, especially, seeing the infiltration of music that I know is from the devil, into the Church. I believe that I have been gifted with discernment by God and this makes me more aware of the spiritual motives behind things and whether something is of God or not. I don’t always know as I am limited but I sincerely believe, as 1 John 4:1 urges Christians to do, in trying the spirits, whether they are of God, given that there are so many falsities in the world. Yet, when I tell people what I have discerned, even people who have professed Christianity and should therefore have some measure of discernment themselves, they deny, downplay or disregard what I tell them, even when it is backed up by the Word of God. This often leaves me feeling frustrated, feeling powerless to effect change, although it is desperately needed.

There are so many lies out there today, so much deception and so many people buying them wholesale, that it disturbs me to say the least. I am a fundamental when it comes to Christianity and I don’t ever intend to change. I have therefore often wondered if I will ever be found by the kind of man I need to marry. Thoughts have come, given the low quality available in many Churches, as to where such a man will come from and if the man, of the spiritual calibre that I envision, the only man I would consider worthy of my hand in marriage, even still exists, at least at my age level.

They are few and far and in-between, as most men who call themselves Christians today, in my view are not really serious about God’s Word and have not truly submitted themselves to the truth of same. Many operate in a Church membership and under the banner of Christianity but are simply lost men sitting as tares in the pews. Others are saved but are carnal, babes, refusing to grow up in God’s knowledge and grace.

I want a man that is so serious about his God, that he is prepared to walk away from his lucrative job and into the unknown, if it compromises with his beliefs and God is leading him to do so. I need a man who will choose Jesus everytime, no matter what because he is prepared to pay the price, even if it means his own pain and discomfort.

Such men are very rare indeed, sad to say. Not many men today that I have come across, have the courage to boldly stand up for the Lord, even if it means that they may be deprived of a job, money or some opportunity. Yet, this is exactly the kind of man that I need. The others wouldn’t do and so, there is a distinct possibility that I may remain unmarried. I have resolved that I am prepared to pay that price, as I refuse to get carried away into one of those so-called denominational Churches that claim to know Christ but their doctrines are majorly flawed.

As apostasy descends increasingly upon us, making inroads and seeking to contaminate the purity of God’s Word, I often feel sad, as the things that were once held dear and known to be true are fast becoming no more. I look around and wonder, how did we get here and where are we going? Where are the Christians that would stand up without wavering, for what is right, no matter the consequence? Where are those that are truly seeking to live the Christian life, even if they may at times falter are attune to God’s voice, sensitive to his will and have a repentant heart and mind like David had? They used to be around but where have they gone? Many of them have passed on to the great beyond and what remains in their place is source for tears. Where are the men that are supposed to be spiritually mature amongst us?

They are as rare as a diamond and sometimes, I feel like an alien in this world, especially when people who profess to know the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour, get upset with you for telling them the truth. They have become worldly, have dismissed much doctrine as unimportant or irrelevant and look at you as strange, when all you are seeking to do is live out the scriptures.

It is easy to think as a serious-minded Christian, that you are alone in your life philosophy or one of very few. Yet, while broad is the road that leads to destruction and narrow the way that leads to righteousness and there are few that find it (Matthew 7:13-14), heaven will not be empty. There are thousands who have gone before and kept the faith, thousands who are doing so today, even if you don’t know where they are and thousands who will do so in the future.

Having recounted the faith walk of people like Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Rahab, Gideon, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the Prophets in Hebrews 11, in Hebrews 12:1-2, it states:

“Therefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

In other words, the Word of God reminds us that we are not alone in this thing called life, as we seek to live for him by faith. Difficulties will come, as all these people experienced but they all made the choice to rise above it, by faith in the immovable one.

On the issue of a spouse, I am reminded and encouraged to know, that it is not my business wondering where my husband will come from, given that I am not prepared to compromise by joining certain denominations who in my view, have embraced the doctrines of demons. If it is God’s will for me to be married, as the all-powerful and all-knowing one, and knowing exactly where his fundamental-minded children are in this world, he will provide the man that he has appointed for me to marry, one after his own heart, who will walk faithfully in truth. If it is not his will, then it is my place to submit to his plan for my life and he is able to get me through successfully, even if a man is not by my side.

2. Being left out of an event, your not having being notified or invited

Recently, I heard of a family event where some people had received formal invitations but I had not. I did not feel very bad as the family member and I had never really had the opportunity to interact much, us having lived on different islands when growing up and our paths rarely ever crossing. It was also quite early and there was a possibility that I would be graced with some form of an invitation closer to the time.

I did not particularly want to go but do love dressing up in formal attire, so it piqued my interest. Nonetheless, I resolved that whatever happened happened and hoped that all those who had received invitations would have a good time.

On another occasion though, in fact, about two weeks ago, I was told by a family member in passing, as we commuted to work (he had been kind enough to offer me a ride while waiting on a taxi), that some of our extended family members had been planning a reunion. It was the first time that I had heard of it and told him so. I assumed though, that as plans developed, that I would be properly informed with the details. However, this never came. I had been told that an immediate family member of mine had been placed on the group chat, which I assume was for the planning of the event but not even he told me a word.

I felt quite bad therefore, to hear through the grapevine, that funds were being collected for food for the event but yet no one saw it fit to inform me of what was being held. It was only on the day of the event that, in asking someone if she knew where they were having it, she informed me of what she had heard.

I was not the only family member that had not been invited but me being a mannerly person that aims to be considerate of others, I still felt quite hurt. I most likely would not have attended as it was more of a sport-based event and I don’t really fancy such environments. However, I felt bad that I had not been informed and asked to contribute like the other family members who had been told, had. It hurt all the more, to see video snippets of the day uploaded to a member’s whatsApp chat and to see how many family members had attended, even people not related to us.

In mulling over it, it dawned on me though, that my situation was not a novel one. It hurts when left out and disregarded yes but this is not something that only happened to me and never to any one else. Everyday people face the same situation, where, for whatever reason, they don’t receive invites to events held by family, friends, co-workers and other acquaintances, even those they had thought they were close to.

In fact, I recalled an incident some years back, where two people were quite hurt, that someone who they had thought they shared a close relationship with was getting married and had invited different people but had not given them an invite. Ironically, both of these people had gotten married in the same year and had asked the very individual to serve as one of their groomsmen and he had obliged. Yet, later that year when news broke that he was getting married, while they expected an invitation, none ever came.

I was therefore reminded that such is life. I am not alone in my not having been invited to the family event. Other people have also not been invited to family and other events and it is something that will continue to happen, sometimes without any justifiable explanation. I have no excuse therefore, to wallow over this and to think woe is me and of how unfair and unmannerly people can be. Like the two people who had not received invites, I am to get on with life, wish everyone the best and put it behind me.

Thankfully, the Lord also brought to my recollection, that I have received the most glorious invitation of all, which is salvation through Jesus Christ God’s Son. This is the most important invitation that matters and I wasn’t excluded from the list! Provision was made for me to be at His divine banquet and therefore, this trumps and more than compensates for every other earthly invite I may not receive.

You dear Reader, may have heard of some event in your own family, where other people received an invitation but somehow, you were not invited. You were not told and understandably, it hurts. Yet, did you know, that David in the Bible, had what can be regarded as a similar experience?

When Samuel came to Jesse and called his sons to the sacrifice, all were present except David. They were all notified and therefore received verbal invitation to attend, except for David. Why was this?

The reason is not given but he was attending to his father’s sheep. Although he was a son and therefore, Jesse should have seen it fit to call him to the meeting, he did not. While we don’t know his thinking, it is likely in my view, to have been, that David being the youngest and not regarded to be much, that Jesse or whoever did the mobilizing may have thought that surely, whatever business Samuel had with Jesse and his sons would have nothing to do with David.

Yet, ironically, it had everything to do with him. David was the only son that had not been invited to the sacrifice, yet, it was for him that Samuel had come. He had not been invited, which perhaps shows how lightly esteemed he may have been by his family but yet he attracted the highest favour of God, which was all that mattered. He had a close walk and relationship with him and was highly commended of God, him describing him as a man after his own heart.

When we feel left out because we were not told or invited of some family event or other affair therefore, we should remember that David had this happen to him as well and know that sometimes this happens in life.

3. Being rejected, unloved, unappreciated or considered not good enough

It is indeed painful to be giving your all, doing your best to please but still falling short of the people you are trying to please and still being rejected. It can be debilitating to love but not have that love requited and to want badly to win over the favour of those we are trying to impress, yet them still regard us as not being good enough.

Our sense of worth can take a dive and this can make us feel really low. We may even begin to question what it is about us that is so unlovable.

Yet, while rejection is truly painful, it is good to remember that there are people in the Bible who experienced it as well.

Leah for example, can tell you first hand about rejection. She was given by her father to Jacob in marriage, yet his heart was always with her sister Rachel, who he also eventually married. In the marriage, she tried tirelessly to win over Jacob’s favour, thinking that bearing him children would do the trick, yet, Jacob never grew to love her in the way that she desired, him having eyes only for Rachel. His heart was with Rachel and nothing that Leah did or tried, ever changed that. She was therefore trapped in a marriage, to a man that was not in love with her, sheer torture for any woman who aims to please her husband.

Even before Jacob had married any of the sisters, Genesis 29:16-18 states:

And Laban had two daughters: the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. Leah was tender eyed; but Rachel was beautiful and well favoured. And Jacob loved Rachel.”

On the morning after the wedding night between Jacob and Leah, when the married couple was supposed to wake up in bliss, after having consummated the marriage, Jacob was upset. This was understandably so, as he had been tricked into marrying Leah. He had been of the view that it was Rachel that he had married and slept with but in the morning, when it was light and he could see her, he realized that it had been Leah.

While Jacob was justified in being angry, one can only imagine how Leah would have felt. I don’t know about women back in that time but today, godly women dream of meeting, marrying and the first time that they will be physically intimate after their weddings with their husbands. How shameful it would be, to wake up on the morning after your wedding with your new husband, not to pleasantness and sweet memories of the consummation experience but to your newfound husband’s disgust. How embarassing it would have been, to know that all the acts and demonstrations of tenderness and of passion meted out by Jacob in the marital bed, as a man in love with his wife, had been intended for Rachel and not her! This is what Leah faced, after having been given to Jacob by her father.

In Genesis 29:25, it says of Jacob:

“And it came to pass, that in the morning, behold, it was Leah: and he said to Laban, What is this thou hast done unto me? did not I serve with thee for Rachel? wherefore then hast thou beguiled me?”

Jacob eventually married Rachel as well, Leah having to look on at the additional price he was willing to pay to get her as his wife. It seems that she resolved though, that she would do her best to be such a wife to Jacob, that he would love her even as he loved Rachel but it never happened. No matter what she did, she was still hated. She was still rejected. Every time she conceived, especially with her first child, it being the firstborn of all of Jacob’s future children, she convinced herself that surely, Jacob would now love her but he never did.

It goes to show that we have no power over those who have rejected us. If their hearts are not for us, we can’t do anything to change that. Having sex with a man, cooking for him, washing his clothes, getting him to agree to marrying you, having his child or doing any other thing, will not make a man love, accept and appreciate you, especially if his heart is somewhere else.

Leah learned the hard way, that no amount of children she bore for Jacob, even when Rachel’s womb was barren, would make him love her. She remained rejected.

Genesis 29:30-34 states:

“And he went in also unto Rachel, and he loved also Rachel more than Leah, and served with him yet seven other years. And when the Lord saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb: but Rachel was barren. And Leah conceived, and bare a son, and she called his name Reuben: for she said, Surely the Lord hath looked upon my affliction; now therefore my husband will love me. And she conceived again, and bare a son; and said, Because the Lord hath heard I was hated, he hath therefore given me this son also: and she called his name Simeon. And she conceived again, and bare a son; and said, Now this time will my husband be joined unto me, because I have born him three sons: therefore was his name called Levi.”

The joining of which Leah craved was not phyiscal. She already had physical relations with Jacob, the obvious reason as to why up to that point, she had birthed three sons. What she was referring to was that emotional attachment and bond, which a man has when he is in love with a woman. Jacob had it with Rachel but with Leah, there was none.

That we are rejected by others, does not necessarily mean that we are not good enough. You can be the most beautiful, the most kind, the most loving and do everything right and still face rejection. We have no power over people’s hearts and how they regard us.

In fact, even the Lord Jesus Christ, who was perfect, faced rejection on earth. This led to him eventually been killed. People did not want him to rule over them and said so. Imagine, he had created them, he had their best interest at heart and genuinely loved them, actually having the power to give them abundant life and yet, they cast scorn on what he had to offer, although priceless, considered him to be of no worth and called for him to be crucified.

In Isaiah 53:3, it says of him, “He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.”

Rejection is therefore not an accurate indicator of your worth. Sometimes people accept garbage and shiny imitation jewellery while discarding diamonds, simply because they have not yet been cut. You could be of high value, an asset even and still be rejected, as the object of your affection remains foolishly blinded to it. It is what it is. We must learn not to internalize rejection and not to consider it as an indictment against us. It is not that we are not doing something right or have no value. It is that we cannot control how people esteem and treat us and not everyone is capable of recognizing value when it is right in front of their faces.

4. Being the object of people’s malice, spite and venomous words

The world today is full of malice and spite but it also existed back in the day! Hannah in the Bible, could probably write a book of what she went through, as a result of Peninnah’s actions. She and Peninnah were married to the same man and because Peninnah realized that Hannah was the favorite and that she herself did not have her husband’s heart, due to jealousy, she set out to hurt Hannah as much as she could.

Doesn’t the script sound familiar? Due to us being God’s children and therefore highly favoured by him, the devil is jealous and sets out to harm us anyway he can. He is always lurking, trying to trip us up and to make our lives difficult because we are accepted in the beloved (Ephesians 1:6) and he is not. Whereas we will get to partake of an eternal inheritance (Hebrews 9:15) and therefore, our future is bright, his future is grim. He will be cast into the lake of fire and brimstone (Revelation 20:10), whereas we will get to spend eternity in the presence of God.

Until his time is up though, the enemy goes around like a roaring lion, seeking who he may destroy (1 Peter 5:8). He has been doing it as far back as the Bible day and he continues to date. He often operates through people, getting them to stir up trouble for those that are favoured by God and therefore, people that he hates.

In Hannah’s case, she had relationship with God and her husband loved her. However, while Peninnah was able to have children, Hannah was barren, something considered shameful back then. Peninnah therefore saw this as an opportunity to get vengeance against Hannah, by rubbing the fact that she could not bear children, in her face. She mocked and laughed at her for years, full of spite and malice and positioned herself wickedly as her adversary.

1 Samuel 1:4-7 states:

“And when the time was that Elkanah offered, he gave to Peninnah his wife, and to all her sons and her daughters, portions: But unto Hannah he gave a worthy portion; for he loved Hannah: but the Lord had shut up her womb. And her adversary also provoked her sore, for to make her fret, because the Lord had shut up her womb. And as he did so year by year, when she went up to the house of the Lord, so she provoked her; therefore she wept, and did not eat.”

Believe it or not, there are some people who will wait until you go up to the house of the Lord, to provoke you. Many of them have no regard for spiritual things, although they belong to a Church membership and are merely tares and wolves, disguised as wheat and sheep. Others, while genuine, will listen to the devil and allow him to use them to get at you, whether before the service, after the service or even during same. Some even use the platform of teaching and preaching, to do their mischievous work.

In 2 Corinthians 11, Paul spoke of some of these tares, when recalling some of the things that he had suffered in his faith journey. In verse 26, he said, “in perils among false brethren”. This suggests that right in the Church, as he sought to do God’s work, the devil had planted false brethren in the midst to frustrate and undermine the work. They were not siting inactive. They never do. They were busy trying their best to have him abort his God-ordained mission.

In Phillipians 1:15-16, he spoke of some people in the Church who had platforms and instead of using it to faithfully advance the Word of God were using it in the hope that what they said, would hurt him. He said:

“Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of good will: the one preach Christ of contention, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds: but the other of love, knowing that I am set for the defence of the gospel.”

Malice and spite are authored by the devil. Wherever we face it today, we must remember this. He uses people to come after us because he hates how much we are loved and favoured of God and at times, he has an inkling of some good work that God wants to use us to achieve and so he uses people to attack us, in the hope that it will derail us and send us off course.

When facing attacks therefore, even by people that we are surprised have launched their grenades against us, it is important to note that we are not the only ones facing such nasty attacks. When people come up to us and shockingly insult us or say things to try to make us feel bad (as I have repeatedly experienced), we must remember that there are other Christians who are having the same experience and that people in the Bible also were dealt similar treatment.

We are required to understand why the attacks have been launched, who is behind it and why. We are not ignorant of the devil’s devices (2 Corinthians 2:11). With this understanding, God requires us not to retaliate but to remember that we are not alone, that others are also facing similar circumstances, to set our eyes on him and to wait on his intervention.

1 Peter 5:8-10 states:

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.”

This is exactly what God did for Hannah eventually. She grieved over the pain of the attacks but it drew her closer to God. She went before him and fervently poured out her troubles to him in prayer. She made request of him and he answered. In due course, he opened up her womb and she bore Samuel, a man that would be mightily used of God. Yet, God did not stop there. To Peninnah’s dismay, he gave Hannah even more children. She went on to have three more sons and two daughters!

When people provoke us with malicious and spiteful words and actions as Peninnah did Hannah, once we maintain the right attitude and take it all to God in prayer, it is highly likely, given God’s character, that he will eventually show up to change our story, so that he will get the glory. He knows best how to silence the enemy and just as Peninnah would have been silenced by God’s blessing after blessing after blessing on Hannah’s life, God is able to do the same with those who have wickedly positioned themselves as our enemies. When he does, we will have reason to burst forth in praise and rejoicing, even as Hannah did. Our enemies will only be able to look on in dismay and amazement, GOD having put them to shame.

Hannah’s desperate but faith-filled prayer for God’s intervention was answered and after she had Samuel, she magnified the Lord in prayer. We too will have this testimony, if, when attacked, provoked and insulted by others, we keep the faith, don’t retaliate, take it to the Lord in prayer and faint not.

After giving birth to Samuel, the Bible states:

“And Hannah prayed, and said, My heart rejoiceth in the Lord, mine horn is exalted in the Lord: my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies; because I rejoice in thy salvation. There is none holy as the Lord: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God. Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let not arrogancy come out of your mouth: for the Lord is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed. The bows of the mighty men are broken, and they that stumbled are girded with strength. They that were full have hired out themselves for bread; and they that were hungry ceased: so that the barren hath born seven; and she that hath many children is waxed feeble. The Lord killeth, and maketh alive: he bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up. The Lord maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, and lifteth up. He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s, and he hath set the world upon them. He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail. The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken to pieces; out of heaven shall he thunder upon them: the Lord shall judge the ends of the earth; and he shall give strength unto his king, and exalt the horn of his anointed.”

Indeed, deep pain is often followed by deep praise and even as Hannah had this testimony, it is my sincere hope, as one who has faced much provocation, insults, attacks, malice and spite, that all who have also faced it and are probably still facing it, will one day have a testimony like Hannah did, a testimony of God’s goodness and his faithfulness, one that will so confound your enemies, that they will be rendered speechless.

5. Being betrayed by those close to us, ill-spoken of and badmouthed by people or undermined by family members who hate us and are out to get us

Betrayal is also nothing new. If you’ve suffered it, you have undoubtedly gone through quite a lot of pain and I sympathize with you.

However, it existed even in the Bible days as well. Joseph for example was betrayed by his own blood brothers, who sold him off to strangers for twenty pieces of silver, thinking that he would die in Egypt or on the way to Egypt.

Jesus himself, though he was the perfect Lord and treated all of his disciples well was betrayed by one of them, a man who had spent hours and days with him and had pretended to be for him. Judas sold him to those who were his enemies and wanted him dead, for thirty pieces of silver.

David also knew first hand what it meant to be betrayed, to be spoken evil against by those he thought were for him and for people to wish him evil in life. He experienced people who rejoiced when he hurt and regarded his low moments as opportunities to entertain themselves with gossip. You are therefore not alone in this regard. In Psalm 41:5-9, David cried:

“Mine enemies speak evil of me, When shall he die, and his name perish? And if he come to see me, he speaketh vanity: his heart gathereth iniquity to itself; when he goeth abroad, he telleth it. All that hate me whisper together against me: against me do they devise my hurt. An evil disease, say they, cleaveth fast unto him: and now that he lieth he shall rise up no more. Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me.“

In Psalm 55:4-14, he stated:

“My heart is sore pained within me: and the terrors of death are fallen upon me. Fearfulness and trembling are come upon me, and horror hath overwhelmed me. And I said, Oh that I had wings like a dove! for then would I fly away, and be at rest. Lo, then would I wander far off, and remain in the wilderness. Selah. I would hasten my escape from the windy storm and tempest. Destroy, O Lord, and divide their tongues: for I have seen violence and strife in the city. Day and night they go about it upon the walls thereof: mischief also and sorrow are in the midst of it. Wickedness is in the midst thereof: deceit and guile depart not from her streets. For it was not an enemy that reproached me; then I could have borne it: neither was it he that hated me that did magnify himself against me; then I would have hid myself from him: But it was thou, a man mine equal, my guide, and mine acquaintance. We took sweet counsel together, and walked unto the house of God in company.”

Once again, like Paul, David experienced sabotage, at the hands of one with whom he had walked with to the house of God. Sometimes when the enemy cannot get at God’s people outside the Church, he will send his agents within or use people who, though saved, allow themselves to be given over to do mischief.

All and in all, betrayal, especially by those who gather behind our backs to pull us down and speak evil of us is not new. If we all live long enough, we will face it, whether from a family member, someone we thought was a close friend, a spouse, a coworker or a Church member.

You may be facing a situation where a family member has positioned himself or herself as your enemy and is out to get you at all costs, even if he or she has to resort to subtle strategies to do so. This is a difficult situation to be in, no doubt. For, you may be emotionally attached to this person and love this person but they are hell-bent on making your life a living hell. You may feel embarassed that you are treated this way by a family member of all people and feel torn between wanting to love the object of your pain and wanting justice for your situation.

You want the person to stop hating on you but he or she is not interested in stopping any time soon and are definitely not repentant. Yet, you can’t simply say vengeance is the Lord’s and tell yourself that God will deal with them because the thought of them being made to suffer God’s wrath and judgment, pains you. You want them to be spared and so you want them to repent but they are not sorry!

This can be tricky and extremely difficult in terms of you managing the range of emotions you will undoubtedly feel, especially where you feel powerless to change the situation.

Know though, that as difficult as your ordeal may be to navigate, all things are possible with God’s strength. Know as well, that people have been through what you are going through, whether it be a hateful sibling, parent, child, cousin or other member and people are currently going through it today as well.

David for example, in the old Testament, went through the pain and embarassment of his son, his own flesh and blood and who he loved, turning on him, trying to kill him and to overthrow his reign.

When David was on the run from his son Absalom, Shimei, a man from Saul’s lineage, cursed and pelt stones at him, as he and the people with him were passing through. In response to one of the men who were travelling with him and wanted to behead Shimei, David told him, “Behold, my son, which came forth of my bowels, seeketh my life: how much more now may this Benjamite do it? let him alone, and let him curse; for the Lord hath bidden him.”

Therefore, if you have a family member that is out to get you or to make you look bad in the eyes of others or to strip you completely of basic human dignity and respect or to hurt, insult, denigrate and accuse you, in the hope that you will be so psychologically damaged that you will walk around insecure, full of anxiety and feeling as if you can never be good enough or successful in life or loved by anyone, remember, that David’s own son wanted him dead. Imagine that. Remember who is really behind these attacks and that your family member is a mere pawn in the enemy’s hands. They are therefore a victim in their own right, in need of your prayer for their deliverance from the enemy’s clutches.

Remember that Cain plotted and killed his own brother Abel. So did Absalom, of his brother Amnon. Remember that Jephthah’s own brothers threw him out from where he had lived and called home, preventing him from obtaining anything from his father’s inheritance and causing him to flee, seemingly penniless.

Also, at one point, although Esau had a change of heart after many years had passed, he had conspired to kill his own twin brother Jacob, his plan being to wait until their faither Isaac had died before doing so. Furthermore, imagine, when Athaliah, the mother of king Ahaziah, heard that he had died, she ordered a massacre of all of Ahaziah’s family members so that she could be on the throne, which would have most likely included her own grandsons.

The enemy of our souls has always been this way. He will stop at nothing, even riling up our own blood relatives against us, them wanting war, although we are for peace. In such circumstances, people may not understand as this is not the norm, family members tending to be loving and supportive of each other for the most part.

God understands though. He has seen this all before and what you are going through at the hands of that family member, is nothing new to him. He can get you through what you’re going through and keep you sane, especially on those days that you feel that you can’t take the wicked attacks from that person that you love, anymore. God can help you to balance loving the person, while maintaining certain boundaries and building up your strength, so as to cope with the reality of what you have the misfortune of dealing with. It makes no sense to expect someone to change if they are not repentant, so stop hoping that he or she will suddenly wake up one morning and get an epiphany, that he or she has been wronging you and that he or she is wrong. All you can do is pray for the person, as God is the only one that is able to change his or her wicked heart, remove hardness and indifference.

6. Being condemned and labelled by those who jump to conclusions about you without all the facts

Job faced judgmentalism, where his friends, who ought to have known him better, accused him of things that he had not done and insulted him with painful words, which they felt were justified. Although he was innocent, they had already judged his situation without all the facts and pronounced him guilty, not sparing him with hurtful words of condemnation. They insisted that he must have sinned against God, that what he was going through was God’s retribution and they dealt with him accordingly.

It reminds me of those people who, when you are down and hurting, instead of offering words of sincere encouragement and support or praying in love for you, instead come up to you with the most hurtful of words, adding salt to your wounds. They only make the situation worse and cause you to go deeper into your grief.

In Job 16:3-5, having been dealt with relentless verbal blows by those who should have been there to support him, Job told his friends:

“…miserable comforters are ye all. Shall vain words have an end? or what emboldeneth thee that thou answerest? I also could speak as ye do: if your soul were in my soul’s stead, I could heap up words against you, and shake mine head at you. But I would strengthen you with my mouth, and the moving of my lips should asswage your grief.”

Why God allows people, who don’t have all the facts, to sully your name and character all about the place is not known. Why he allows people to come up to us and to use their mouths to utter hurtful, condemning words, when they have not a clue what we have been through or are going through or why all that is happening in our lives is happening, is not known.

All and in all though, we must trust in God’s sovereignty, to the extent that, even if we are confused and we are bruised by the harshness of people’s words and actions against us, we know that God knows what he is doing and he doeth all things well.

In Psalm 109: 1-4 and 21-31, David cried out to the Lord in prayer, due to the hurt he felt from those who had wickedly positioned themselves against him, were badmouthing him with their lips, wishing him evil and had condemned him as hopeless, a lost cause and a write-off. Some people will regard you in this way, sad to say. No matter how much you have may asked God for help in your situation and for forgiveness even when you have done wrong and are sincerely trying to move on from your problem, looking in reliance on the God of hope, they will pronounce condemnation on you, as if you will never get out of your situation but will be perpetually stuck, as if God is not able to deliver you from all that you are going through and to have mercy on you and give you a beautiful future, despite your past or trouble.

David experienced such people, motivated by their hatred of him and without a cause. In his weariness and hurt, caused by even those that he had shown love to and therefore, had betrayed him in his situation by condemning his soul as hopeless, he cried out to the Lord in prayer, stating:

“Hold not thy peace, O God of my praise; For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful are opened against me: they have spoken against me with a lying tongue. They compassed me about also with words of hatred; and fought against me without a cause. For my love they are my adversaries: but I give myself unto prayer. And they have rewarded me evil for good, and hatred for my love…But do thou for me, O God the Lord, for thy name’s sake: because thy mercy is good, deliver thou me. For I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me. I am gone like the shadow when it declineth: I am tossed up and down as the locust. My knees are weak through fasting; and my flesh faileth of fatness. I became also a reproach unto them: when they looked upon me they shaked their heads. Help me, O Lord my God: O save me according to thy mercy: That they may know that this is thy hand; that thou, Lord, hast done it. Let them curse, but bless thou: when they arise, let them be ashamed; but let thy servant rejoice. Let mine adversaries be clothed with shame, and let them cover themselves with their own confusion, as with a mantle.I will greatly praise the Lord with my mouth; yea, I will praise him among the multitude.For he shall stand at the right hand of the poor, to save him from those that condemn his soul.“

Thankfully, despite the tide of voices against him and how much they looked down at him, sure that he had no future, David knew his God and that he would save him from those that had been so quick tp condemn him. In fact, Psalm 37:32-34 states:

“The wicked watcheth the righteous, and seeketh to slay him. The Lord will not leave him in his hand, nor condemn him when he is judged.Wait on the Lord, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it.”

In Isaiah 54:15 and 17, God stated to his people, through his prophet and I believe that, given his character, the same applies to those who are a part of the body of Christ:

“Behold, they shall surely gather together, but not by me: whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake…No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord.”

If you belong to the Lord therefore, you are a target for people’s hatred, malice and condemnation. For, motivated by the devil who hates you, they will gather against you. There is no way of avoiding this in this world, sad to say, unless you compromise, try to fit in and neglect doing God’s work, which the devil would love. If you are serious about your faith in the Lord though and seeking to please him, people, even those that you did not consider your enemy, will wickedly join forces to come after you and speak evil of you, them being eager to condemn you as over and done with.

BUT GOD! His Word says that the heritage of his servants, meaning his people, is that they will be abel to condemn the very tongues that rise up against them in judgment. He also assured his people that, while they can’t ever stop people from gathering against them for their hurt, none of the weapons that they brandish, be it the words of their mouth or otherwise, will be able to prosper. If they insist on gathering against you, they do their own selves an injustice, as it is them that will fall.

We saw this demonstrated in the book of Esther, where Haman wickedly mobilized forces to get at Mordecai and his people. He built a gallows for Mordecai but it was he that ended up being hanged on it (Esther 7:10). He sought to have Mordecai and his people condemned but the king’s decree changed, empowering those very people, who belonged to the Lord, to condemn those who were their enemies.

7. Being heart broken by someone you love, deserted or experiencing physical or emotional infidelity in a love relationship or marriage

It is painful if you have been in a relationship with someone, where you hoped and expected that it would one day lead to marriage and then they break up with you or cheat on you. It is far worse if you are in a marriage and they have been physically or emotionally unfaithful.

Yet, it happened in the Bible days as well. The lady at the well who Jesus met in Samaria, had had five husbands and the one that she had been living with when she met Jesus was not even her husband. She was a great adulterer.

I have heard people speculatively say that this woman must have suffered heartbreak after heartbreak at the hands of men who things did not work out with and who left her. However, it may have very well been that she was the one that was leaving the men and breaking their hearts, moving from one to the next, futilely searching for something but finding no satisfaction in any of those men.

When she found Jesus Christ though, she realized that her had the power to quench the thirst for whatever she had been searching for in life. Instead of going to men with the offer of herself therefore, she left her waterpots and went to men, so as to point them no longer to herself but to Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the world.

There was also the lady who was brought before Jesus, after having been caught commiting adultery with a man. Under the law, both the woman, if she was married and the man that she had been caught with were guilty and were to be stoned to death (Deuteronomy 22:22). However, only the woman was brought before Jesus.

It was a serious offence and remains so till this day. However, Jesus by grace, did not condemn her as one would to someone who is utterly hopeless but offered her forgiveness, careful to tell her to go and to sin no more (John 8:11)

In fact, apart from those who engaged in physical adultery in the Bible, God often referred to the people of Israel, who belonged to him and had been specially chosen by him, as a man chooses his bride, as having engaged in adultery against him and as having behaved as a whore. This was because they often turned their backs on him, despite how faithful he had been to them and embraced idols. It was therefore a spiritually adulterous situation.

The God of heaven has therefore experienced the pain of infidelity, after having loved Israel, who he had chosen. While he had been faithful, Israel had not. While he loved them with an everlasting love, they still turned their backs on him and went after other allurements, when he was enough. He was all they had ever needed but this did not stop them from turning to others, as those who leave or cheat on their spouse do.

The pain that is felt when the object of our love and affection turns away from us ungratefully, seeking what is thought to be greener pastures is clearly conveyed in the Lord’s utterances. Israel’s infidelity was clearly something that hurt him to the core. For example, God told them through his prophet in Ezekiel 16:8, 15-17, 26, 28-30-32, 37-38:

“Now when I passed by thee, and looked upon thee, behold, thy time was the time of love; and I spread my skirt over thee, and covered thy nakedness: yea, I sware unto thee, and entered into a covenant with thee, saith the Lord God, and thou becamest mine…But thou didst trust in thine own beauty, and playedst the harlot because of thy renown, and pouredst out thy fornications on every one that passed by; his it was. And of thy garments thou didst take, and deckedst thy high places with divers colours, and playedst the harlot thereupon: the like things shall not come, neither shall it be so. Thou hast also taken thy fair jewels of my gold and of my silver, which I had given thee, and madest to thyself images of men, and didst commit whoredom with them… Thou hast also committed fornication with the Egyptians thy neighbours, great of flesh; and hast increased thy whoredoms, to provoke me to anger…Thou hast played the whore also with the Assyrians, because thou wast unsatiable; yea, thou hast played the harlot with them, and yet couldest not be satisfied. Thou hast moreover multiplied thy fornication in the land of Canaan unto Chaldea; and yet thou wast not satisfied therewith. How weak is thine heart, saith the Lord God, seeing thou doest all these things, the work of an imperious whorish woman. In that thou buildest thine eminent place in the head of every way, and makest thine high place in every street; and hast not been as an harlot, in that thou scornest hire; But as a wife that committeth adultery, which taketh strangers instead of her husband!…Behold, therefore I will gather all thy lovers, with whom thou hast taken pleasure, and all them that thou hast loved, with all them that thou hast hated; I will even gather them round about against thee, and will discover thy nakedness unto them, that they may see all thy nakedness. And I will judge thee, as women that break wedlock and shed blood are judged; and I will give thee blood in fury and jealousy.”

In Jeremiah 3:1-3; 6-14, God again stated through his prophet:

“They say, If a man put away his wife, and she go from him, and become another man’s, shall he return unto her again? shall not that land be greatly polluted? but thou hast played the harlot with many lovers; yet return again to me, saith the Lord. Lift up thine eyes unto the high places, and see where thou hast not been lien with. In the ways hast thou sat for them, as the Arabian in the wilderness; and thou hast polluted the land with thy whoredoms and with thy wickedness. Therefore the showers have been withholden, and there hath been no latter rain; and thou hadst a whore’s forehead, thou refusedst to be ashamed…

Hast thou seen that which backsliding Israel hath done? she is gone up upon every high mountain and under every green tree, and there hath played the harlot. And I said after she had done all these things, Turn thou unto me. But she returned not. And her treacherous sister Judah saw it. And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also. And it came to pass through the lightness of her whoredom, that she defiled the land, and committed adultery with stones and with stocks. And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah hath not turned unto me with her whole heart, but feignedly, saith the Lord…Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith the Lord; and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you: for I am merciful, saith the Lord, and I will not keep anger for ever. Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the Lord thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green tree, and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith the Lord. Turn, O backsliding children, saith the Lord; for I am married unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion.”

If the God of heaven experienced spiritual infidelity at the hands of his chosen people Israel, who are we to think that we are the only ones that have been heartbroken, cheated on or forsaken, when in a marriage or in a love relationship or where we had the hope of something blossoming into a love relationship?

Relational and marital unfaithfulness are situations that have happened in the past and will unfortunately, continue to happen.

If a man has broken your heart or left you picking up the pieces, it is understandable that you will be in significant pain. You should know though, that this has happened before and is still happening today. It is not an indictment against your worth. Men cheat and are unfaithful on even the dearest of women and vice versa. They walk away and turn their backs on the best of spouses, fiances, girlfriends and those they led to believe that they were interested. We are in a fallen world and therefore, this happens.

Sadly, even in the Church, people are unfaithful in their marriages. Marriage was intended by God to be for life and still is expected to be permanent but people in their sinfulness, often do their own rebellious thing, drawn away from their marriage covenant and to their detriment, by their own lust.

If you are the victim of a broken marriage or a broken love relationship, know, that if you are a child of God, there will come a point when you will be healed once you continue to put your trust in him. You may occasionally feel sad and lonely but all is not lost. Jesus is able to keep you until the end.

God is also able to heal broken marriages, so reconciliation is not impossible. If you know the Lord as your Saviour, go to God in prayer and ask that he work on both of your hearts and on the circumstances, to bring about a reconciliation. He is after all, the God of reconciliation and second chances.

If, however, your spouse has no intention of ever returning or you do not wish to have him back, while God can still overrule and change the situation so as to bring him back, if he chooses not to, know that it is possible to get through life as an unattached woman.

God will expect you to remain unattached, as, for as long as your husband lives, even if he divorced you or vice versa, he is your rightful husband in God’s eyes. Only death can break that bond. You are not allowed to remarry or enter into any kind of love relationship therefore and neither is he, as the scriptures are clear that this would constitute adultery. It is therefore my hope, that as an unattached woman, you will not grow bitter, resentful or wallow in grief but will find your everything in Jesus Christ in whom you are complete and that you will go on to do great exploits for him, the ultimate lover of your soul.

If you were not married to the guy who broke your heart, thank God that you are free to make better choices, to spend time with your Lord and to be courted and wedded by a better man, one after God’s own heart. Wait on him and trust God to send him to you in his perfect timing, if this is within his will for your life.

8. People not believing in you or your vision

Sometimes, the people that you would expect to give you support and encouragement when undertaking a venture or following the call that God has on your life, will not do so. They instead will criticize you, try to dissuade you from taking your path of purpose or tell you that you can’t do what you have in mind. Many times, those people are family members and friends and therefore, their lack of support can hurt tremendously. However, it is important to remember that this is life and people not believing in other people and their vision is something that happens and has happened throughout the centuries.

As far back as the Bible times, Joseph’s brothers did not believe that his dreams were of any signficance, when he dreamed twice of what pertained to them, bowing down to his.

When they saw him coming from afar, Genesis 37:20: states:

“And they said one to another, Behold, this dreamer cometh. Come now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and we will say, Some evil beast hath devoured him: and we shall see what will become of his dreams.“

Of course because Joseph’s dreams had been birthed by God, his brothers could not thwart his purpose. Just as predicted in the dreams, Joseph’s brothers ended up bowing to him not once, not twice, not three times or four but at least five times, as recorded in the scriptures.

David also faced problems in his family, where Eliab, the eldest brother, did not think much of him. Even after he had been anointed in Eliab and his other brothers’ presence to be the next king of Israel, Eliab still dismissed him as nothing but a busybody and a troublemaker.

When he heard David speaking to the men of Israel who were in battle and asking what the reward would be for the man that killed Goliath the Philistine, it says in 1 Samuel 17:28:

“And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spake unto the men; and Eliab’s anger was kindled against David, and he said, Why camest thou down hither? and with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thine heart; for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle.”

Eliab did not believe in the nobleness of David’s intentions but ascribed wicked motives to his actions. He had been sent by Jesse his father but Eliab jumped to the conclusion that he had come to see the battle. He labelled David as being proud and having a naughty heart, when this was not at all true. Clearly also, he did not think much of him, one sensing the level of scorn he had for him as unimportant, when he asked him who he left the “few sheep” with in the wilderness.

This comes across to me as equating David as not being able to amount to anything more in his life, than attending to a few sheep. The Bible does not say but it seems likely that Eliab either did not know why David had been anointed by Samuel or did not believe that David would ever become king. He may even have felt slighted, that he as the firstborn, had been passed up for the youngest of the sons and of all people, David.

Yet, given that God’s hand was on David’s life and it was his perfect will to make him king and given that he loves to use those who others discard and dismiss as unimportant and insignificant, David did ascend the throne at the time appointed as God intended and reigned over all of Israel.

At times, what God has placed in us to do and to be, people, even family members, will oppose it. They will ascribe to us ulterior and evil motives and accuse us of all sorts of things. They may dismiss us as nothing signficant and disbelieve that God could ever use us, practical nobodies, in any great way, for his work. Yet, as God has done countlessly through the ages, once he has purposed it, he uses us and there is not one thing that they can do about it.

There are those I am sure, who don’t believe that I have it in me to write one Article,yet God has enabled, equipped and empowered me to write hundreds of Articles and for the most part, effortlessly so. It was not education that he used or any kind of intelligence that I had but he drew from what he himself put in me and was therefore entitled to extract as he pleased, when he pleased.

At the end of the day, whether it be a business venture or some work for the Lord or otherwise, once God is rooting for you and it is his will for you to take a particular path, it matters not what people think or if they believe in you and your vision. All that matters is what the Lord thinks and he is all you need.

In John 3:16, it says that God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life. Jesus was undoubtedly therefore, the Son of God and came to earth with a God-given purpose, to redeem mankind back to God. Yet, there were those with whom he interacted and who heard of him, who did not believe in him or his purpose. In fact, people in his own family, at one point, thought that he was an imposter. In John 7:5, it says of Jesus that “…neither did his brethren believe in him.”

fYet, this did not deter the Lord. He was all about his Father’s business and did not allow disbelief or people’s attempts to discourage him, to stop him. As was divinely purposed, he lived a perfectly sinless life, allowed himself to be crucified by his enemies and miraculously and powerfully rose again on the third day, just as he said and knew he would.

Following Jesus’ perfect example, if we are sure that we have the Lord’s support, we must not look to the left or to the right or entertain people’s opposition, not even those of family members. Instead, we must press on in that in which we have envisioned and in that in which we have been called.

(Written on 13th February, 2024, added to thereafter)