Hope in Trials

Psalms 119:81-88
(81) Kaph. My soul longs for your salvation; I hope in your word.
(82) My eyes long for your promise; I ask, "When will you comfort me?"
(83) For I have become like a wineskin in the smoke, yet I have not forgotten your statutes.
(84) How long must your servant endure? When will you judge those who persecute me?
(85) The insolent have dug pitfalls for me; they do not live according to your law.
(86) All your commandments are sure; they persecute me with falsehood; help me!
(87) They have almost made an end of me on earth, but I have not forsaken your precepts.
(88) In your steadfast love give me life, that I may keep the testimonies of your mouth.

Earlier we saw the value of affliction. However, that doesn't mean it is fun to go through the affliction. Here we see the Psalmist really wrestling with the pain in his life. He is dealing with persecution that most American Christians could never dream of. Yet through it all he does not forsake the Word of the Lord.

Why don't Americans deal with this kind of persecution? One reason is that our liberties are guarded by the Constitution. We may complain about how the ACLU is removing prayer from various places, etc, but we really don't know what true persecution is. How many American Christians have been burned at the stake for their faith lately? Not too many as far as I know. The media is certainly biased with a materialistic worldview, but I think that would still make headlines.

Another reason is because we try to live underground. Who even knows what we believe and why? What cause would there be to persecute us? What are we doing to speak of the truth of God's Word? Do we even know it well enough to talk about it?

I still wonder where the balance is with all of it though. I don't want to stand in the hall at my office thumping a Bible and yelling at people. However, I also want to share the truth of God's Word. I guess it's good that my coworkers respect what I believe. The problem is that most of them don't seem to really believe much when it comes to God's Word.

Remember -- being a Christian is not something we do just on Sunday mornings. It has to be something that permeates our lives. Does that happen in yours? It could certainly happen more in mine.