From Experience = Living And Coping With Injustice And Hurt (Second Part) – Guidelines – (The Retribution Of God – Part 7 In The Series) Series

FROM EXPERIENCE = LIVING AND COPING WITH INJUSTICE AND HURT (SECOND PART) – GUIDELINES – (THE RETRIBUTION OF GOD – PART 7 IN THE SERIES)

This next message continues from the last one and further provides coping strategies when in distress and depression, or facing adversity or injustice.

[3]. UNDERSTAND THE BALANCE

Trials, injustices and adversities all cause a heart searching and bring a Christian back to basics. We are children of eternity and it is in the light of eternity that all our values in the present world must be examined and appreciated. Injustice can be accepted most, and given proper perspective, when this life is balanced against eternity. Paul in one immortal statement said, “The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” That does not make the suffering or injustice any less hurtful but the onslaught and trial can be met with a settled faith and that makes all the difference.

You may not understand why you face such deceit or attacks, but remember Jesus is our Great High Priest who knows the situation, and He has been acquainted with unfairness and distortions and inventions and falsehoods and slanders and devilishly devised plots against the righteous of all generations. The Lord Jesus Christ will succour and intercede for you with all the compassion of the God of love. He was tempted, tried, slandered, abused, falsely accused and judged falsely by pharisaical men, so who better can understand when you are in some similar, hurting situation?

When I face hurt in injustice, there is no place for vengeful thoughts but there is for thoughts that leave it all with God because He knows us fully, and at the appropriate time, He will require your hurt at the hands of the perpetrators. Right at this time hell is full of those who are in remorse for the way they treated the children of God but it is too late. Only a fearful judgement awaits all those there. It is so sad that the gospel was neglected and God was ignored.

[4]. IS IT THE HAND OF GOD YOU ARE NOT DISCERNING?

There is another aspect here we should not overlook. We might suffer injustices, or what we might consider to be persecution, but it may be the hand of the Lord on us, gently on His children because we might have sinned and are living dishonourably. Sin is very subtle. I reckon the church at Ephesus did not realise that it had left its first love, or the church at Sardis did not realise their works were incomplete. (Revelation 2 and 3). This is where the discipline of God operates for our good.

I want to look at some verses in this matter. Some Christians, when they have hardship or injustice or affliction in their lives, blame the devil or claim it is persecution against them. What many fail to understand is that this could be the hand of the Lord on them in discipline. They may have wandered from the path and the rod of correction is being applied. I have some relevant verses on this subject I will share and comment on.

(a). {{1Corinthians 11:32 “When we are judged, WE ARE DISCIPLINED BY THE LORD in order that we may not be condemned along with the world,”}} A loving God corrects His own redeemed children, and the purpose of that is for our own good. The Lord pulls us up before we get too far away and then be unlikely to return. He disciplines us because He loves us; He does it for our growth in holiness and righteousness; He wants proper and full communion with His redeemed ones.

(b). {{Hebrews 12:5-7 and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons, “MY SON, DO NOT REGARD LIGHTLY the discipline of the Lord, nor faint when you are reproved by Him, for THOSE WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES, and He scourges every son whom He receives.” It is for discipline that you endure. GOD DEALS WITH YOU AS WITH SONS, for what son is there whom his father does not discipline?”}} This is a very important passage. God addresses us as His sons, and wants us to understand that any discipline is being done in love. An indifferent father or a careless one could not care less about the son’s condition and overlooks sin, but not the Lord. He disciplines us for our own good.

Verse 5 is an interesting one. It says, “My son, do not regard lightly,” and God here says we must treat the discipline of God seriously. It is a serious matter because it comes from God and is part of His correction in refining and purification. If we shrug discipline off then we are reprobates and tracking our paths away from God.