Do you find that as you journey in this life - upholding a
standard of modesty that others may mock....
or wearing a headcovering in obedience to I Cor. 11...
that it is a lonely journey at times?
Are you discouraged when friends and family -
especially those who proclaim Jesus as Savior -
believe it is foolishness to practice such things -
proclaiming freedom in Christ and living 'under grace not law'?
(and I do want to speak to these things at some point)...
Dear friend... stand strong! I was encouraged
by this reading today found here....
maybe it will bless you as well.
Standing
Alone
IT
IS HUMAN to stand with the crowd; it is divine to stand alone. It is
man-like to follow the people, to drift with the tide; it is God-like
to follow a principle, to stem the tide.
It
is natural to compromise conscience and follow the social and
religious fashion for the sake of gain or pleasure; it is divine to
sacrifice both on the altar of truth and duty.
"No
man stood with me, but all men forsook me" (2 Timothy
4:16) wrote the battle-scarred apostle in describing his appearance
before a civil court to answer for his life of believing and teaching
contrary to the Roman world.
God's
absolute, revealed Truth has been out of fashion since man changed
his robe of fadeless light for a garment of faded leaves.
Noah
built and voyaged alone. His neighbors laughed at his strangeness and
perished in style.
Abraham
wandered and worshipped alone. Sodomites smiled at the simple
shepherd, followed the world's fashion, and fed the flames.
Daniel
dined and prayed alone. Elijah sacrificed and witnessed alone.
Jeremiah prophesied and wept alone. Jesus loved and died alone.
And
of the lonely way His disciples should walk, He said, "Straight
is the gate, and narrow is the way which leadeth unto life, and few
there be that find it." Matthew 7:14.
Of
their treatment by the many who walk in the broad way, He said, "If
ye were of the world, the world would love his own; but because ye
are not of the world, . . . therefore the world hateth you."
John 15:19.
The
redeemed children of Israel in the wilderness praised Abraham and
persecuted Moses. The people of God in the days of the kings praised
Moses and persecuted the prophets. The court of Caiphas, the high
priest, praised the prophets and persecuted Jesus. The church of the
popes praised the Saviour and persecuted the saints.
And
multitudes now, both in the church and the world, applaud the courage
and fortitude of the patriarchs and prophets, the apostles and
martyrs, but condemn as stubbornness or foolishness the same
faithfulness in standing for truth today.
Wanted,
today, men and women, young and old, who will obey their convictions
of truth and duty at the cost of fortune and friends and life itself.
Jesus
also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered
without the gate. Let us go forth therefore unto Him without the
camp, bearing His reproach. Hebrews
13,:12,13.
