Dear Friends of "Dial Daily Bread":
Have you ever been crushed, broken in heart, humiliated? Felt that Heaven was closed against you, your prayers were unanswered? You’ve been stoned (like Stephen in Acts 7, that is!)? You were persona non grata at the throne of God? (Maybe only a few will care about this DDB). The most difficult place to endure ostracism is in the church that you love, because church fellowship sensitizes the most delicate and painful of human emotions.
There are several Bible characters who can serve as Encouragers of such who suffer:
(1) Joseph, sold as a slave by his own brethren, opposed ten to one, discarded like a piece of junk, wept broken-hearted at his prospects. But behold his magnanimity toward his “brethren” and his forgiveness of them (Gen. 45:1-8).
(2) David, hunted like a wild beast by the “anointed” king of Israel, Saul. When “the anointed of the Lord” wants to finish you off, you have reason to feel tempted to think God has forsaken you. How could God be with you when His chosen, “anointed king” is against you? Some when they have this sad experience give up in despair and commit a kind of spiritual suicide, which they must not do. They should give serious study to the psalms of David written when he was so bitterly persecuted by king Saul (there are many!). God saw fit to preserve these psalms, knowing that some people throughout history would have a similar experience to David. For example, read Psalm 4, 5, 6, 9, 11, etc. On and on! And then we have the psalms of David written when he was plagued with the results of his own sin (suffering even more difficult to endure!), such as 3 (when he fled from his own son Absalom), 7 (when Cush the Benjamite cursed him as he fled), 32 and 51, his penitential psalms, etc. With only one exception (Psalm 88), in his psalms of discouragement, David always ends up with his choice to “come boldly unto the throne of grace” and trust the Lord to care for him. All the psalms that begin in the minor key end up in the major key; only #88 is in the minor key throughout.
(3) Then there is Number Three: Jesus. Never was anyone more humiliated, heart-broken, insulted, condemned, as He was—by His own people. Taking our place, suffering all that we are called upon to endure, He cried out (as we often do!), “My God, why have You forsaken Me?” If your soul is tempted and you feel driven to discouragement, “consider Him who endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself, lest you be wearied and faint in your mind” (see Heb. 12:3). And don’t forget, do as He did: pray for your tormentors!
Be sure to check your e-mail for "Dial Daily Bread" again tomorrow.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Please forward these messages to your friends and encourage them to subscribe. The "Dial Daily Bread" web page resides at: http://1888message.org/dailybread/
To subscribe send an e-mail message with "subscribe" in the body of the message to: <dailybread@1888message.org>
To un-subscribe send an e-mail message with "un-subscribe" in the body of the message to: <dailybread@1888message.org>
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Robert J. Wieland's inspirational "Dial Daily Bread" phone message is available via e-mail to anyone who wishes to receive a daily portion of uplifting Good News. "Dial Daily Bread" is FREE. Due to travel or other circumstances, there may be intervals when "Dial Daily Bread" will not be sent.
