YET I REFUSE TO BE ASHAMED (6)

Post date: Nov 27, 2019 3:17:14 PM

Do not allow the boasting of others to make you be ashamed of yourself; do not allow the wealth and success of others to make you be ashamed of yourself; do not allow the words of men to make you be ashamed of yourself. Before God and in His plans there is a destiny for you. God might in His wisdom decide to take you another way quite different from others, but it is certain God in His love, mercy, and power will not leave you empty and unfulfilled on the ways He had decided to He will lead you. He took the children of Israel through the wilderness, He did not leave them there and did not allow the enemies to destroy them. God knows what is in you and He sees what you are going through and He will ensure you have the victory, He will ensure you will not be disgraced and you will not be destroyed. Apostle Paul gave an account of himself, enumerating what he went through; he said:

“I repeat then, let no one think that I am foolish; but even if you do, at least accept me as foolish so that I too may boast a little. What I say in this confident boasting, I say not as the Lord would with His authority, but foolishly. Since many boasts of worldly things and brag about human accomplishments, I will boast too. For you, being so wise, gladly tolerate and accept the foolish like me. For you tolerate it if anyone makes you his slave or devours you and your possessions, or takes advantage of you, or acts presumptuously, or hits you in the face. To my shame, I must say, we have been too weak in comparison to those pseudo-apostles who take advantage of you. But in whatever anyone else dares to boast, I am speaking foolishly, I also dare to boast. Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I. Are they self-proclaimed servants of Christ?, I am speaking as if I were out of my mind, I am more so for I exceed them, with far more labors, with far more imprisonments, beaten times without number, and often in danger of death. Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent adrift on the sea; many times on journeys, exposed to danger from rivers, danger from bandits, danger from my own countrymen, danger from the Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger on the sea, danger among those posing as believers; in labor and hardship, often unable to sleep, in hunger and thirst, often driven to fasting for lack of food, in cold and exposure, without adequate clothing. Besides those external things, there is the daily inescapable pressure of my concern for all the churches. Who is weak, and I do not feel his weakness? Who is made to sin, and I am not on fire with sorrow and concern? If I must boast, I will boast of the things that reveal my weakness, the things by which I am made weak in the eyes of my opponents. The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, He who is blessed and to be praised forevermore know that I am not lying. In Damascus, the governor under King Aretas guarded the city of Damascus in order to arrest me, and I was actually let down in a basket through a window in the wall and slipped through his fingers.” 2 Corinthians 11:16-33

Paul went through all these horrible things above not before he became a follower of Jesus Christ but after, yet became an Apostle. He declared “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes in Christ as Savior, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed, springing from faith to faith disclosed in a way that awakens more faith.” Romans 1:16-17. Instead of being shameful of what had happened to him, he declared confidence in God, confidence in His power and blessings. He declared confidence in the word, confidence in His promises, confidence in His ability to keep and fulfill His plans, and Paul declared confidence in what God had called him to do, and Paul was a success. The desires of people who insult you, who deliberately humiliate you, who look down on you, who isolates you from themselves, who caused your loneliness and pains are that you will be ashamed of yourself, but God is doing otherwise in your life. He is doing better things and He will bless you. Refuse to be ashamed, you are in God's hands for good. For prayers, Click here