Life in this world can be unfair. And so, it seems sometimes, can life in the Kingdom. It is not uncommon for those of us committed to following Messiah Yeshua to be called to experience hardship in our lives. And that is especially so in the course of our service to Him. But others are not. Is that fair?

Sure, those difficult times we experience are lovingly designed by our Father to shape our moral character, humility, and dependence upon Him for our provision and protection. But what about those who never seem to be so “blessed?” What about them?

When Peter was informed of his eventual martyrdom in service to the Kingdom he responded as thus:

Peter seeing him (John) saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do? Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me. (John 21:21-22 KJV)

That is the bottom line for us, too. We follow Him. It is not our concern how others are called to serve. We must focus our attention on Him as we serve Him in the situation to which He has brought us. We must not focus on where He brings others in their walk with Him. Or apparent walk with Him. More on that later.

We must remind ourselves of Yeshua’s words to Peter whenever we are tempted to look around and wonder why some other believer has it easier than us right now. There is an important reason to do so. If we don’t, we open ourselves up to attack from the enemy. We put ourselves at risk of falling out, rather than following on.

The Accuser of the Brethren is also the Accuser of YHWH. And so he invites us to place our focus on others who seem to have “a better deal” than we do. In so doing, he leads our focus away from YHWH and onto ourselves–and what YHWH hasn’t done for us.

He wants us to despair at our own treatment, envy the treatment of others, and then get us angry at YHWH because of disparities, real or (usually) imagined.

The Accuser’s strategy is to call into question motives. We’ve observed that in Scripture. He called YHWH’s motives into question with Eve for a prohibition against eating from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil in the garden. He questioned Job’s motives before YHWH and suggested that Job was only faithful so far as he had been blessed. And we’ve experienced that questioning of motives in our own lives, haven’t we?

That’s a signature strategy of his. I can always tell when someone is working for the enemy when I observe them questioning others’ motives constantly. They expose themselves by ever trying to sow doubt and discord among the brethren by attempting to get the gullible into questioning motives when there is no reason to do so.

Usually there is a lie, or at least a half-truth, involved. Satan’s servants are masters of this tactic. This is why, more likely than not, you have experienced defeated congregations in your past. They gave in to the Accuser’s siren call. The Accuser’s servants sowed discord and in response most took their eyes of the Leader and focused on everybody else, including themselves.

So let’s not get “suckered” into that one. It’s easy to stay safe–just keep in step with the Spirit. But many don’t. Don’t get caught up with them.

The enemy wants us discouraged. He wants us be be ineffective. He wants us infected with anger and envy in order to further spread the disease of discord and disharmony.

And if he can get us to question and doubt the goodness and fairness of YHWH on top of all that, then all the better in his wicked book. He’s tricky. You’ll be fine if you keep in step with the Spirit, who leads us clear of all involvement in such destructive behavior. If we listen.

And I must include here a special variation of his game that is a standard in his playbook. Getting us to doubt YHWH’s goodness by tempting us to compare ourselves to impostors he himself has rewarded. Keep in mind these verses:

If you endure discipline, Elohim (God) is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom a father does not discipline? But if you are without discipline, of which all have become sharers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. (Hebrews 12:7-8 The Scriptures 1998+)

It might just be that some around us don’t go through the shaping process because they are not really being conformed to the image of the Son.

Don’t think the Accuser doesn’t take special pleasure in holding up one of his impostors, an illegitimate son, in order to use that person to accuse YHWH even more falsely in our eyes.

The strategy of the enemy of our faith is to attempt to get us to shift our focus from serving YHWH in our trials to doubting the goodness and justice of YHWH because of those trials. Though the circumstances were a bit different, the words of Yeshua to Peter apply here: “What is that to you? You follow me.”

It is helpful to put everything in perspective as we repeat His words to ourselves. Biblical perspective. One such verse that is helpful it:

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:28-31 KJV)

You know other verses that might be helpful in clarifying the truth of the matter to yourself. But all those verses point to this: He has big plans for us. That’s why He is leading us into the places, events, circumstances and trials in which we find ourselves. They are grooming us for a glorious future. But we must fully follow Him where He leads us as individuals within a broader Kingdom. We must not let ourselves be tricked into a falling out before we arrive!

Abba, Father, thank you for your many great and precious promises to us whereby we may lay hold of life and godliness. We recognize that involves hardship as measured by the world’s standards. During those times, we ask that you would help us to continue to focus on your faithfulness and goodness in completing the work you have begun in us. Help us to recognize when your enemy attempts to lead us astray from you and help us keep in step with your Spirit so that we may stay on course with what you have called us to do and become in your Kingdom. We ask these things in the name of Yeshua our Messiah. Amen.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What do you think? Please leave a comment below and let us know! Thank you.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Don’t miss a Minute Message! Get it delivered daily to your e-mail. Simple and free sign-up with this form!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Copyright 2010 Jim Zboran. All rights reserved.
Permission to reproduce and distribute hereby granted if the following four conditions are met: 1) The article must be reproduced in its entirety and the content may not be modified in any way. 2) Author’s name and copyright information, including these permission conditions must appear with article. 3) Author’s contact information (jim@jimzboran.com | www.jimzboran.com) must appear with article. 4) Article must be freely distributed without charge or financial gain.

No related posts.