Rejoicing Reproach

 “Remember, Lord, the reproach of Your servants— How I bear in my bosom the reproach of all the many peoples, With which Your enemies have reproached, O Lord, With which they have reproached the footsteps of Your anointed.” Psalms‬ ‭89‬:‭50‬-‭51‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Reproach is naturally distasteful to all people, especially when associated with punishment for wrong doings; and the service of isolation as the least response is understandable. Unfortunately, even when some reproaches are not necessarily associated with wrong doings, the Lord still demands the service of reproach as a sacrifice with sweet aroma from all His beloved servants. For “If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified” (I Peter‬ ‭4‬:‭14‬). Obviously, this blessedness from a rejoicing reproach comes from God and the privilege of an express appearance before the throne of grace. And like the psalmist’s prayer, believers’ privilege of any reproach in the pursuit of righteousness provides the right wings to their prayers and supplication. Invariably, while the enemies of righteousness have a depressing agenda in their repudiation, the children of God must always express the delightful appearance of their righteousness in all reproaches.

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