"10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you." (Matt 5:10-12)
I couldn't understand why I was struggling yesterday to release something. Then God brought the Beatitudes to my brain this morning. I began to read them and that's when I saw the word persecution. God began to tell me that persecution is two-fold. There is persecution because you are a follower of Christ and persecution because you are doing your own thing.
Let's take the second one - persecution because you are doing your own thing. This is not the persecution explained above. This is persecution because you are hard headed. This is the persecution of Jonah. This is why you are being swallowed by the whale. This is why your finances, family, employment are off. You know God has given you direction, yet, you go in the opposite direction. Honey, baby know that once you step off the path of the righteous, you are telling God that you can do this all on your own. God let's you. So, then, don't look up to the heavens and ask why Lord why. He isn't forsaking you. He's honoring your wish and letting you do this on your own.
This persecution is harder than the other. This persecution will have you humbling yourself before God asking for His forgiveness of your hardheadedness (that's probably not a real word, but ya'll get it). As I sit here, God has decided to play Speak the Name by Koryn Hawthorne featuring Natalie Grant (if you haven't seen their performance at the Dove Awards, I suggest you google it - or catch the link on my Facebook or Twitter pages). Understand this. You want your situation to turn around. You want to come out of disobedience, speak the name of Jesus with your pure heart and willingness to submit unto His will and way. God is faithful and He will forgive. But your heart has to be pure. You can't just say His name. That's a move of the Pharisees. You can't expect God to move on your falsehood.
Be A Blessing and Not Just Blessed
- Nakya