No Wonder You Have So Few

March 4, 2016

No Wonder You Have So Few

And God will use this persecution to show his justice and to make you worthy of his Kingdom, for which you are suffering.

2 Thessalonians 1:5

Take a moment to remember the time you made your commitment to be a follower of Jesus. Next, fast forward to the present time. For all the days, months, years, or decades since you became one of his disciples, what most characterizes your journey: mountaintop experiences, times along the level plains of life, or days in the valleys of life?

Jesus warned his followers that we would encounter grief, injury, persecution, and betrayal, just as he did. For all who take up their cross to follow Jesus, will come days when we are too tired, too weary, too confused, and too lonely to pray. In such extremity, we may well feel as though we are beyond being comforted by scripture, prayer or devotional practices. Our hearts will be tempted to cry out the words attributed to Teresa of Avila, “Lord, if this is the way you treat your friends, it is no wonder you have so few.”

Even so, when we find our faith lagging, Jesus’ faith in us and in his coming Kingdom is not! While we will most certainly experience days when we feel our flame has been extinguished, fear not; Jesus will not quench a smoldering wick. While we will most certainly experience days when we feel we have been bruised and battered and are no longer useful, fear not; Jesus will not break a bruised reed. (Matthew 12:20)

I suspect Teresa uttered her now famous words with just a hint of a smile at the corner of her mouth. Even though she had fallen (literally off of her horse), she knew she was for evermore Jesus’ friend. So are you, so am I.

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com. The BLOG is also available on Amazon Kindle, by subscription.

Publications by Alex M. Knight:

·        Seeking the Life in Christ, Meditations on the New Testament and Psalms has been published and is now available at Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle.

·        The second edition of First Think – Then Pray is available on Amazon Kindle.

·        Meditations on The Story of My Life as told by Jesus Christ has been released as an e-book on Amazon Kindle.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.