Don't Be Offended

 "Blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me" (Luke 7:23).

It is sometimes very difficult not to be offended in Jesus Christ. The offenses may be circumstantial. I find myself in a prison-house--a narrow sphere, a sick chamber, an unpopular position--when I had hoped for wide opportunities. Yes, but He knows what is best for me. My environment is of His determining. He means it to intensify my faith, to draw me into nearer communion with Himself, to ripen my power. In the dungeon my soul should prosper.

The offense may be mental. I am haunted by perplexities, questions, which I cannot solve. I had hoped that, when I gave myself to Him, my sky would always be clear; but often it is overspread by mist and cloud. Yet let me believe that, if difficulties remain, it is that I may learn to trust Him all the more implicitly--to trust and not be afraid. Yes, and by my intellectual conflicts, I am trained to be a tutor to other storm-driven men.

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The offense may be spiritual. I had fancied that within His fold I should never feel the biting winds of temptation; but it is best as it is. His grace is magnified. My own character is matured. His Heaven is sweeter at the close of the day. There I shall look back on the turnings and trials of the way, and shall sing the praises of my Guide. So, let come what will come, His will is welcome; and I shall refuse to be offended in my loving Lord. --Alexander Smellie

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Sometimes it seems as if there is a perpetual darkness all about me. There are moments when the intensity of the enemies attack seems to overwhelm me. At times, the heaviness and heartache of disappointed expectations drain me of every ounce of strength. In all this, I need not be offended in Christ.

It is in these moments of difficulty that God is building my character. It is in the midst of these struggles that God validates my faith. Through my difficulties others will be strengthened.

So as you travel through the storms of life, do not be offended. It is an honor to bear the cross of suffering for the sake of the kingdom. This dark moment shall soon pass and the glory that will be revealed through it will prove worthy of the struggle. ~ Dr. Rick Wallace