Devotional texts: Psalm 1:1-6 (ESV)

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leafs does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; for the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.

Dear Friends

Being blessed, what does it mean to you? Does it mean that you get everything that your heart desire or is it living in the light of the Lord? Being blessed means that one allows God to direct your path. With this I say that when people are striking you on the cheek, turn the other one as well. Walking away shaking off the dust from your shoes and look ahead knowing that God sees what is done to his children. Human nature is to grab to the laws made by human beings in times of distress and we tend to forget that God’s law isn’t governed nor created by human beings and thus he works in ways that will bring glory to Him. This is for people in high positions an organizational catastrophe, because they are fighting a different battle, a battle not against flesh and blood, but one of values and principalities.

During times of trail people sit tight for the storm to wither down and become miserable in the process, because nothing is changing and they feel as if they can do nothing to change the events that unfolds right before their eyes. But is not how God cares for his own, rather he gives them something to do and that is to meditate upon his Word and in doing that seeking His will, while he is busy creating and shaping those negative events that got you into the place where you find yourself.

You cannot do anything about the wickedness of people out of your own strength, but God can and the way in which he does it is by giving you something to do while he deals with those who revealed their wicked to you. God looks upon those in trail with a compassionate heart and to the perpetrators with a heart of anger, bring law and gospel in line with each other, showing grace to those in need and to the perpetrators the full force of His law.

It is during this period that people in trail experience meekness, joy and all the other fruits of the spirit, while the unjust experience a time of tribulation. Their hearts become restless, because of guilt as they experience God’s law and as a result of that it becomes too much for them to bear. The law convicts people’s hearts, while the gospel provides comfort. The promises of Jesus in Matthew 5:2-12, thus becomes not just a promise but a fulfilment and that is what we can hold on to as the ones who face prosecution. Knowing this, I understand how people in countries where Christian persecutions are still real manage to worship God inspite of the many challenges they face daily.

We do not now see why this is happening to us right now, but we do know that God is turning the tide on wickedness every hour day and night . We do know however that light and darkness cannot go hand in hand, thus God is exposing not only your heart to those around you, but he also exposes the hearts of those who is part of the ungodliness people suffers from.

May God’s light cause a burst of sunlight you need to hope during these times and may his righteousness shine through you announcing a break of dawn for you. May he unroot you from the dry areas in which you are planted and plant you by the streams of living water, which will enable you to yield your fruits at the right time knowing that nothing in this world can ever cause your leafs to ever wither again.

Amen