First Cause
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Global >
      • United States
      • Africa
      • Democratic Republic of Congo
      • Guatemala
      • India
      • Kenya
      • Mexico
      • Nicaragua
      • Nigeria
      • Peru
      • Rwanda
      • Sweden
      • Tanzania
      • Uganda
    • Leadership
    • Our Team
    • Our Statement of Faith
  • Training
  • Leader Resources
    • Outreach
    • Quotes A-C
    • Quotes D-F
    • Quotes G-K
    • Quotes L-O
    • Quotes P-R
    • Quotes S-U
    • Quotes V-Z
    • Worship
    • Testimonials
    • Annual Newsletter
  • Leader Podcasts
  • Blog
  • Prayer
    • A Link In The Chain
    • Prayer Request
    • Long Eternal Line
  • STORE
  • Contact
  • Donate
  • Inicio
  • Nosotros
    • Liderazgo
    • Equipo
  • Capacitacion
  • Eventos
  • Blog Devocionales
  • Galeria
  • Contacto
  • Link Page
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Global >
      • United States
      • Africa
      • Democratic Republic of Congo
      • Guatemala
      • India
      • Kenya
      • Mexico
      • Nicaragua
      • Nigeria
      • Peru
      • Rwanda
      • Sweden
      • Tanzania
      • Uganda
    • Leadership
    • Our Team
    • Our Statement of Faith
  • Training
  • Leader Resources
    • Outreach
    • Quotes A-C
    • Quotes D-F
    • Quotes G-K
    • Quotes L-O
    • Quotes P-R
    • Quotes S-U
    • Quotes V-Z
    • Worship
    • Testimonials
    • Annual Newsletter
  • Leader Podcasts
  • Blog
  • Prayer
    • A Link In The Chain
    • Prayer Request
    • Long Eternal Line
  • STORE
  • Contact
  • Donate
  • Inicio
  • Nosotros
    • Liderazgo
    • Equipo
  • Capacitacion
  • Eventos
  • Blog Devocionales
  • Galeria
  • Contacto
  • Link Page
Search by typing & pressing enter

YOUR CART

Reveration Blog

8/5/2005 0 Comments

Opposition

​Angel started her job in July.  She looked forward to the opportunity to share Christ with her new coworkers and to utilizing her cooking skills in the popular restaurant on the busy street of MG. A month later, she fought back tears—work was not going as she had expected.  When the other girls on her shift learned she was a Christian, many were curious and began to ask her questions, but not Varuni, a tall, woman from Pune.   She let Angel know in no uncertain terms that she did not care for Jesus chatter.
Varuni complained to the manager that Angel was trying to convert them to Christianity.  He forbade her from discussing religion in the restaurant.  One day Varuni accidentally knocked over a stack of plates near Angel.  As the plates crashed to the floor and broke, Varuni blamed Angel.  Angel did not defend herself, she knew it would just be her word against Varuni.  She began to experience migraine headaches—as the stress mounted.  It seemed like nothing was going right for the young woman from Cochin.  Yet she knew she was where God wanted her to be and so she prayed and asked Him for help to be strong and effective as His witness.  

Over the next year, Angel’s coworkers admired her for her good work habits, her kind disposition and integrity.  Even her Hindu manager could see that her presence was a blessing to the restaurant. She was given more responsibility as a cook and a slight pay raise.  Meanwhile, Varuni did all she could to make her life miserable.  Eventually she stole funds from the cash box and placed them in Angel’s handbag.  When an investigation was done and the rupees were found in Angel’s possession, the manager was forced to fire her despite her protestations of innocence.  Although he suspected Varuni, he had no choice but to let Angel go.  Now she is out looking for another job.
 
Meditation
Nehemiah 4:7-8—When Sanballat, Tobiah, and the Arabs, Ammonites, and Ashdodites heard that the repair to the walls of Jerusalem was progressing and that the gaps were being closed, they became furious. They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and throw it into confusion.
 
It’s not easy to be a target.  Much sorrow is experienced when we are the victim of dirty tactics and constant badgering. Nehemiah came with God’s blessings from Susa, a major city in Elam, to rebuild the Jerusalem wall and make the city safe for his fellow Jews.   Immediately, Sanballat and his cadre of thugs did all they could to stop Nehemiah.  So he and his countrymen“ . . . prayed to our God and stationed a guard because of them day and night” (Neh. 4:9). 

Followers of Jesus should expect opposition—we should not be surprised that hell opposes heaven.  Like Angel, we may lose our job.   Like Nehemiah we may find that building walls is four times harder than it should be. Second, no matter what we face our best course of action is to pray!  We need God’s help—if we forget this our problems are even deeper than we think.  Third, we continue to run the race.  Never give up!  If necessary, post the guard and stand the watch but don’t quit!  

You may lose your job, but God will not forsake you—He will provide.  You may find your name unjustly smeared.  Jesus was called demon-possessed (John 8:48).  You may endure pain and emotional distress.  Don’t despair—Jesus left His blood on many stones stumbling to Golgotha.  He proceeded with His eyes on His Father. Keep moving upward, the path is narrow but the payoff is indescribable!   Opposition molds our character, tests our resolve, stretches our faith and reveals our convictions.  So press on mighty child of God and be blessed by the King of Blessings.   
 
Inspiration
Virtue is the outcome of conflict.  And spiritually it is the same.  “In the world you will have tribulation”; that is, everything that is not spiritual makes for your undoing; “but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”  When this is understood it is a perfect delight to meet opposition, and as we learn so win over the things that come against us, we produce the balance of holiness.—Oswald Chambers in Not Knowing Where 
​

©2005 Daniel York  ARR. Reveration is the weekly devotional ministry of First Cause.  If you would like to receive these devotionals go to www.firstcause.org and click on the “Click here to receive weekly devotionals” box.  Unlimited permission to copy this devotional without altering text or profiteering is allowed subject to inclusion of this copyright notice.      
 
Ecclesiastes 12:10-The Teacher sought to find delightful sayings and to accurately write words of truth.  (Holman CSB)

0 Comments


Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Categories

    All
    Abiding
    Accountability
    Accusations
    Action
    Adaptable
    Adversity
    Advice
    Agreement
    Alert
    Alliance
    Ambition
    Angels
    Anger
    Anointing
    Arguing
    Aspiration
    Assumptions
    Attitude
    Authority
    Available
    Balance
    Baptism
    Belief
    Betrayal
    Bible
    Bitterness
    Blessings
    Blood
    Bold
    Boundaries
    Bribery
    Burn Out
    Busyness
    Calling
    Calm
    Causes
    Challenges
    Change
    Character
    Choices
    Christmas
    Comfort
    Commitment
    Communication
    Communion
    Community
    Comparison
    Compassion
    Complacency
    Complaining
    Compromise
    Concern
    Conduct
    Confession
    Confrontation
    Confusion
    Conscience
    Consent
    Considerate
    Contentment
    Context
    Corruption
    Courage
    Craving
    Creation
    Creativity
    Criticism
    Curiosity
    Dark
    Death
    Deception
    Decision Making
    Dedication
    Delay
    Deliverance
    Demons
    Depression
    Despair
    Discernment
    Discipleship
    Discipline
    Discouragement
    Dishonesty
    Disobedience
    Disrespect
    Divine Appointment
    Divisive
    Dogmatic
    Doubt
    Duty
    Easter
    Edify
    Empathy
    Encouragement
    Endurance
    Envy
    Eternity
    Ethics
    Evangelism
    Evolution
    Example
    Excuses
    Experience
    Failure
    Faith
    Faithful
    Fasting
    Fathers
    Favor
    Fear
    Feedback
    Fellowship
    Flesh
    Focus
    Follow
    Foolishness
    Forgiveness
    Freedom
    Friendly
    Friendship
    Fruit
    Gentle
    Giving
    Glory
    Goals
    God
    God Fearing
    Godly
    Gods Love
    Gods Promises
    Good Friday
    Gossip
    Government
    Grace
    Grumbling
    Guidance
    Habit
    Happiness
    Healing
    Healthy
    Heart
    Heaven
    Hell
    Help
    Heresy
    Heroism
    History
    Holidays
    Holiness
    Holy Spirit
    Honor
    Hope
    Humility
    Hypocrisy
    Idolatry
    Image
    Immorality
    Incompetent
    Inconsistent
    Ingratitude
    Inheritance
    Initiative
    Inspiration
    Integrity
    Interference
    Isolation
    Israel
    Jealousy
    Jesus
    Joy
    Judgment
    Justice
    Justification
    Kindness
    Knowledge
    Language
    Laughter
    Law
    Lazy
    Leadership
    Learning
    Legalism
    Life
    Light
    Listening
    Lonely
    Love
    Loyalty
    Lying
    Marriage
    Meaning
    Meditation
    Memorial
    Mercy
    Mind
    Ministry
    Miracles
    Money
    Music
    Name
    Obedient
    Observation
    Opportunity
    Opposition
    Pain
    Parables
    Parenting
    Passion
    Patience
    Peace
    Perseverance
    Philosophies
    Plan
    Poem
    Possessions
    Power
    Praise
    Prayer
    Prayer For Leaders
    Prejudice
    Preparation
    Pride
    Priorities
    Profiles
    Promises
    Protection
    Providence
    Provision
    Prudence
    Psalms
    Punishment
    Purpose
    Questions
    Rebellious
    Recognition
    Reconcilation
    Redemption
    Relativism
    Relevance
    Religion
    Repentance
    Reputation
    Respect
    Responsible
    Rest
    Restoration
    Revenge
    Revival
    Reward
    Righteous
    Role
    Sacrifice
    Safety
    Salvation
    Satan
    Security
    Selection
    Self
    Sensitive
    Serving
    Sickness
    Silence
    Sin
    Sincerity
    Sorrow
    Soul
    Speech
    Spiritual Disciplines
    Spiritual Gifts
    Spiritual Growth
    Spiritual Warfare
    Status
    Stewardship
    Strategy
    Strengths
    Stress
    Stubborn
    Submission
    Success
    Suffering
    Suicide
    Teaching
    Team
    Temptation
    Testimony
    Testing
    Thankful
    Theology
    Thinking
    Thoughtful
    Time
    Tradition
    Training
    Travel
    Trinity
    Trouble
    Trust
    Truth
    Understanding
    Unequal
    Unity
    Values
    Victory
    Virtue
    Vision
    Warning
    Weakness
    Will
    Wisdom
    Witness
    Work
    Worry
    Worship
    Youth
    Zeal

Picture

Contacts

Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Photo used under Creative Commons from Rachel Maxey Miles