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May 20, 2006 Psalms 119:161 Princes have persecuted me without a cause: but my heart standeth in awe of thy word. Brother, t’is one thing to suffer for the sins we know; it is even understandable to suffer for the sins we don’t know; but oh how hard it is to suffer without a cause! We try with all we have to keep the suffering away, we “play the game by the rules” and stay in the “safe zone”. But suffering “without a cause” was the baptism of Christ, and we are to be baptized with the same baptism He was (Mat 20:22,23). From Abel all the way through to Job, David and Jesus, the lot of the child of God is the same. It is the earmark of a life touched by God; to suffer with a cause, without a cause, or even for your virtue. But oh, how hard it is! Here we are, we obey, give all, sing praises, fellowship, pray, and yet, we are not spared the rod of suffering. Oh. how that hurts our sense of justice! We claim that if we were God we would know better, we would treat us better, we would be more fair to ourselves; we would not subject us to such an unfair treatment. But don’t you see, don’t you see that this is the devil’s morbid sense of justice? “How can he be clean that is born of a woman” Job says (Job 25:4). In God’s eyes, we are dead from the minute we are born, but in our self-righteous condemned pride, we can’t help but try to bargain our lot with God using our good works. But suffering “without a cause” has the ability to cleanse us from this ungodly sense of justice born of our carnal mind (Rom 8:7). My brother, whatever your lot, know that it is in the hand of God, and that it is within His perfect plan. Let the blessing of the suffering he has allotted you cleanse the sin and uncleanness of your spirit, even your own perverted sense of justice. Matthew 5:10-12 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (11) Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. (12) Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you. 1Pe 2:20 For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. Patrick Lumbroso For past issues of the daily devotion go to my blog at: http://hearthstoneministries.blogspot.com/
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