DRAWING NEAR
April 30
Realizing Your Reward
"Blessed are you when men cast insults at you, and persecute
you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely, on account
of Me. Rejoice, and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great,
for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you" (Matt.
5:11-12).
God's promise for those who are persecuted for His sake is that their
reward in heaven will be great (Matt. 5:11). Jesus said, "Everyone
who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or
children or farms for My name's sake, shall receive many times as
much, and shall inherit eternal life" (Matt. 19:29).
Focusing on that promise instead of your present circumstances is how
you can experience happiness amid suffering. That was Paul's great
confidence even as he faced certain death. In 2 Timothy 4:8 he
declares, "In the future there is laid up for me the crown of
righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me
on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His
appearing."
Another source of joy in trials is knowing that you share the fate of
the prophets themselves (Matt. 5:12). Those godly men suffered untold
hardships for proclaiming God's message. That's a noble group to be
identified with!
One final word of encouragement from Matthew 5:11: persecution will
not be incessant! Jesus said, "Blessed are you when. . . ." The Greek
word translated "when" means "whenever." You won't always be
persecuted, but whenever you are, you will be blessed. In addition,
God will govern its intensity so you will be able to bear it (1 Cor.
10:13). He knows your human weaknesses and will supply the necessary
grace and peace to get you through. That's why you can rejoice when
otherwise you might be devastated and filled with grief.
If you are willing to make sacrifices now, you will receive
incomparable rewards in the future. How shortsighted are those who
protect themselves now by denying Christ or compromising His truth
rather than sacrificing the present for the sake of eternal blessing
and glory!
Suggestions for Prayer:
Thank God for the example of the prophets and others who have
suffered for Him.
For Further Study:
Read Matthew 21:33-39 and Hebrews 11:32-38.
How did Jesus illustrate the persecution of God's prophets?
What is Scripture's commendation to those who suffered for
righteousness' sake?
Drawing Near, Copyright 1993 John F. MacArthur, Jr.
All rights reserved. Used by permission.
http://www.gty.org
~~~
1 Corinthians 10:13 (NKJV)
13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man;
but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what
you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of
escape, that you may be able to bear it.
Matthew 21:33-39
33 "Hear another parable: There was a certain landowner who planted
a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a winepress in it and built
a tower. And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far
country.
34 "Now when vintage-time drew near, he sent his servants to the
vinedressers, that they might receive its fruit.
35 "And the vinedressers took his servants, beat one, killed one,
and stoned another.
36 "Again he sent other servants, more than the first, and they did
likewise to them.
37 "Then last of all he sent his son to them, saying, 'They will
respect my son.'
38 "But when the vinedressers saw the son, they said among
themselves, 'This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and seize his
inheritance.'
39 "So they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed
him.
Hebrews 11:32-38
32 And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of
Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel
and the prophets:
33 who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness,
obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,
34 quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out
of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to
flight the armies of the aliens.
35 Women received their dead raised to life again. And others were
tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better
resurrection.
36 Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of
chains and imprisonment.
37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain
with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins,
being destitute, afflicted, tormented;
38 of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and
mountains, in dens and caves of the earth.
~~~
These devotions are posted with permission from John MacArthur's
first (1993) devotional work, _Drawing Near_, and they are also sent
out daily for free to several folks via e-mail.
In addition, John's second (1997) devotional, _Strength for Today_,
is also available free via e-mail only. _Strength for Today_ follows
the same format as what you have seen here from _Drawing Near_, but
with different monthly themes.
If you would like to receive daily devotions via e-mail from either
of these series, just let me know (via e-mail), and I will gladly add
you to the list(s) of your choice.
You can hear John MacArthur daily via the Internet by visiting:
http://www2.oneplace.com/Ministries/Grace_to_You/
and
http://www.gty.org.uk/
You may email John MacArthur in care of Grace to You at:
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NOTE for those of you reading via newsgroups: If you wish to reach
me, please contact me via e-mail for quickest results.
In Christ,
Peter
Peter G. Chase :: Columbus, Ohio, USA
pchase1@wideopenwest.com
http://www.gty.org/Gospel/
http://www.nwbible.org/
To forgive is to set a prisoner free, and to discover that the prisoner was you. -Alistair Begg
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