1 Unto thee lift I up mine eyes,
O thou that dwellest in the heavens.
2 Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters,
and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress;
so our eyes wait upon the Lord our God, until that he have mercy upon us.
3 Have mercy upon us, O Lord, have mercy upon us:
for we are exceedingly filled with contempt.
4 Our soul is exceedingly filled
with the scorning of those that are at ease,
and with the contempt of the proud.
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Comments by Joan Boney
The apostle Paul says: 12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. II Tim. 3
I'm very glad we do not have to suffer persecution in the flesh the way the early church in Paul's day suffered. Paul was beaten with many stripes because of his belief. These were real stripes applied to his flesh.
And we read in Heb. 11 ... 32 And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets:33 Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, 34 Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. 35 Women received their dead raised to life again:and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection:36 And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment:37 They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword:they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; 38 (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.
Most of us today do not suffer physical persecution for our faith in Jesus Christ, the Word. (though in some parts of the world some still suffer physically)
But all who desire to follow the Word of God know what it is to be persecuted for the Word's sake.
persecution:
- followed with hostility
- subjected to ill-treatment
- harassed / annoyed
Persecution can be mental or physical.
When we speak the Word and believe the word, the darkness flees ... and we know what it is to feel the pain from their unbelief even if they say nothing and do nothing. This is persecution.
I Peter 4 ... 12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:
13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.
14 If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you:on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.
15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters.
16 Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.
17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God:and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?
18 And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?
19 Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.