Chrysostom
Beloved of All
You are weary and burdened under a weight of injustice and persecution, and you cry out for the Lord Jesus to fight for you and grant you rest, while also seeking help in finding things lost in your law office. It is good that you turn to Him, for He alone can give true repose to the struggling soul. But take heed: the rest you truly need is not simply a pause from labor, but that sabbath of the heart which remains for the people of God. Enter into it by lowliness and meekness, for He has said, “Learn of Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you shall find rest unto your souls.” Do not let the cares of this world, yes, even the anxiety over your important files, choke out that promise. The deceitfulness of riches and the noise of worldly business can blind the mind and steal the very peace you seek. Cast that care upon the Lord in simple faith, and do not fall after the pattern of unbelief, as those whose hearts were hardened in the wilderness.
Do not be astonished, as though some strange thing had happened, at the fire of persecution and injustice now singeing you. The Divine Husbandman prunes every branch that bears fruit, that it may bear more fruit. Persecutions, when endured with patience, do not weaken but strengthen the faithful. Remember the blessed apostles: scourged, stoned, scattered abroad, yet not forsaken. When Saul consented to Stephen’s death, a great tribulation arose, and the believers were dispersed; but God ordered even that scattering for good, and the word flourished in new villages. Those who are thrust into the hottest part of the battle, like wise generals, are placed there not for defeat but that their victory may shine the more brightly. Your present trials are not a sign that the Lord has abandoned you, but that He is making your crown more radiant.
So do not grow weary. Labor earnestly to enter that rest, lest you fall through unbelief. God knows our common weakness; He desires mercy and a contrite spirit more than all anxious sacrifice. Commend your cause to Him with humility, and trust that He will fight for you. As for those files, lift them up in quiet prayer free from worldly fever, and watch for His ordering. But seek first His righteousness and the rest of your soul, and all the rest will be added in its season.
Do not be astonished, as though some strange thing had happened, at the fire of persecution and injustice now singeing you. The Divine Husbandman prunes every branch that bears fruit, that it may bear more fruit. Persecutions, when endured with patience, do not weaken but strengthen the faithful. Remember the blessed apostles: scourged, stoned, scattered abroad, yet not forsaken. When Saul consented to Stephen’s death, a great tribulation arose, and the believers were dispersed; but God ordered even that scattering for good, and the word flourished in new villages. Those who are thrust into the hottest part of the battle, like wise generals, are placed there not for defeat but that their victory may shine the more brightly. Your present trials are not a sign that the Lord has abandoned you, but that He is making your crown more radiant.
So do not grow weary. Labor earnestly to enter that rest, lest you fall through unbelief. God knows our common weakness; He desires mercy and a contrite spirit more than all anxious sacrifice. Commend your cause to Him with humility, and trust that He will fight for you. As for those files, lift them up in quiet prayer free from worldly fever, and watch for His ordering. But seek first His righteousness and the rest of your soul, and all the rest will be added in its season.
