Daily Affirmations - Day 6 - If We Faint Not - Strength To The Weary
Day 6: Strength to the weary
Consider Him [Jesus] who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart (Hebrews 12:3).
Lord Jesus our Savior, in whom the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form (Colossians 2:9), You chose to come and live among us— to show us a goodness, holiness, purity, and love, unconceived of by human mind. You brought Your light of life into a world of darkness, to heal our sight and restore our wounded vision (John 8:12).
But people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil (John 3:19), and they... crucified the Lord of glory (1 Corinthians 2:8). They treated with hostility the very One who alone could relieve them of the despair, destruction, and evil under which they and the entire creation groan in bondage to decay (Romans 8:21, 22).
Yet, in Your love and compassion, You chose to die for those who made You their enemy— moreover, to die by their hands. And though humanity continues to struggle under the weight of blindness, evil, and rejection of all that is truly pure and good, You have kept Your doors of grace open.
Those who believe in You, You receive as Your own. However, You set the clear expectation: "Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed My teaching, they will obey yours also’" (John 15:20).
Despite this sobering reality, You call Your true followers to the same love and compassion You showed to a hostile world. You instruct them to live in the markedly different values You both taught and modeled:
“Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous ...” (Matthew 5:44-45).
Jesus, keep us constantly grounded in Your radical, distinguishing love so that we are set apart from impostors and deceivers. You have established a clear distinction between suffering for Your sake, and suffering for evil deeds and choices that have nothing to do with Your kingdom:
But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God (1 Peter 2:20).
You have shown us that a genuine life of faith will ultimately be acknowledged by a scoffing world: Live honorably among the unbelievers. Today, they defame you, as if you were doing evil. But in the day when God visits to judge they will glorify Him, because they have observed your honorable deeds (1 Peter 2:12 - CEB).
Lord, strengthen and empower us by Your Spirit. Your words of encouragement remind us that You have already traveled our toughest road (1 Peter 2:21). Center us in all You have taught and shown us. Help us not to grow weary and lose heart.
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