March 24, 2023
Daily Devotion:
"That Thing Called Pain"
2 Corinthians 11:24–25
Five times I received from
the Jews thirty-nine lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was
stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the
deep.
Can you imagine being beaten
"times without number"? I cannot. Here is the awful reality of
physical abuse. Few people will ever know such extreme pain. But if you think
the man was pretty much alone in it all, get hold of a copy of Fox's Book of
Martyrs or read it online. There is no way to get around it; God's servants
often become scapegoats.
This is true emotionally more
frequently than physically. Humanity’s twisted depravity, for some reason,
likes to express itself in this way. Take the prophet Daniel, for example.
Faithful, efficient, honest, dedicated to the maximum, the man served others
with a pure heart. But it backfired on him. According to the sixth chapter of
the book that bears his name, the very people he worked with turned on him.
They set out to prove he lacked integrity. They left no stone unturned.
Can you imagine how that
hurt? You are the object of investigation. You hear whisperings about your
character. Stories swirl around, calling into question your words, your
actions. Every move you make is viewed with suspicion. And yet there is not a
shred of truth to it. You have been a model of authenticity, you have devoted
yourself to the dual role of helping others and honoring the Lord . . . and
this is the thanks you get.
