Do you have any enemies? What a question to be asked, especially if we are God's children. We come to the assumption that everything is hunky-dory and that everyone will treat us kind and we won't experience the pain of opposition as others do. What makes me say this? I hear it all the time. A lot of Christians think that since we have given ourselves to God, things will go nicely for us. But, let's consider what the Bible says to us:
"An angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying: "Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him." Matthew 2:13
Whenever God clearly speaks to you, and you obey His will, you can expect to face opposition. This is not intended to scare you, but to prepare you for the assaults you will face by being obedient to God. Some of us become nervous about obeying God because of the opposition that they hear others go through, so they decide not to be obedient to God. Jesus told us to "Be of good cheer, for I have overcome the world!" John 16:33b. However, understand that spiritual assaults and attacks by the ungodly are not always signs that you are out of the will of God, they might indicate that you are in the very center of His will. Take Mary's husband, Joseph, for instance, he was a righteous man who feared God, yet his obedience to God forced him to flee for his life to a foreign country. Joseph's hardships came, not because of his sin, but because of his obedience to God. Although Joseph and Mary were forced to move to another country, they remained in the center of God's will.
Jesus warned His disciples to expect persecution from the world as they obeyed the Father. But, He also reminded them that they would not face persecution alone, for He too, had faced the hostility of the world and had been victorious as I already mentioned.
Here's where the rubber meets the road, don't become discouraged or disheartened when you face opposition. Opposition may indicate that you are acting in obedience to God. And, don't let opposition cause you to doubt God's will! Examine your heart! If you have done what you know He has asked you to do, trust Him to see you through the persecution that comes from those who are, or who are not, walking with Him. Here's an eye-opener, when the disciples encountered persecution, they did not ask God to remove their opponents, they asked Him to give them boldness as they faced opposition. (Acts 4:24-31).
Know that God's will for your life may involve hardship, as it did for His Son (John 15:20), but remember that He loves you and will not allow you to face more than you are able to handle. The difference between victory and defeat in the face of opposition is this, are you allowing bitterness and doubt to cause you to ask God to remove the opposition, or is your faith and trust in Him helping you to ask for boldness in the opposition?
May God richly bless you today!! H Trent!
"An angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying: "Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him." Matthew 2:13
Whenever God clearly speaks to you, and you obey His will, you can expect to face opposition. This is not intended to scare you, but to prepare you for the assaults you will face by being obedient to God. Some of us become nervous about obeying God because of the opposition that they hear others go through, so they decide not to be obedient to God. Jesus told us to "Be of good cheer, for I have overcome the world!" John 16:33b. However, understand that spiritual assaults and attacks by the ungodly are not always signs that you are out of the will of God, they might indicate that you are in the very center of His will. Take Mary's husband, Joseph, for instance, he was a righteous man who feared God, yet his obedience to God forced him to flee for his life to a foreign country. Joseph's hardships came, not because of his sin, but because of his obedience to God. Although Joseph and Mary were forced to move to another country, they remained in the center of God's will.
Jesus warned His disciples to expect persecution from the world as they obeyed the Father. But, He also reminded them that they would not face persecution alone, for He too, had faced the hostility of the world and had been victorious as I already mentioned.
Here's where the rubber meets the road, don't become discouraged or disheartened when you face opposition. Opposition may indicate that you are acting in obedience to God. And, don't let opposition cause you to doubt God's will! Examine your heart! If you have done what you know He has asked you to do, trust Him to see you through the persecution that comes from those who are, or who are not, walking with Him. Here's an eye-opener, when the disciples encountered persecution, they did not ask God to remove their opponents, they asked Him to give them boldness as they faced opposition. (Acts 4:24-31).
Know that God's will for your life may involve hardship, as it did for His Son (John 15:20), but remember that He loves you and will not allow you to face more than you are able to handle. The difference between victory and defeat in the face of opposition is this, are you allowing bitterness and doubt to cause you to ask God to remove the opposition, or is your faith and trust in Him helping you to ask for boldness in the opposition?
May God richly bless you today!! H Trent!
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