Saturday, July 13, 2024
I Can’t Take It Anymore!
 
Psalm 123:4   Our soul has had more than enough
                        of the scorn of those who are at ease,
                        of the contempt of the proud.
 
            Let’s face it. There are times in life when things go on and on and on and on. “I can’t take it anymore! Make it stop!”
            This psalm ends open-endedly. We’re left with no apparent resolution, no answer, and we desperately want one. What do we do when we cannot take it anymore? Paul experienced this in his life and ministry on behalf of Jesus Christ. The other apostles experienced this as well. As a matter of fact, the Christian Church has experienced scorn, persecution, hostility, and contempt right from the get-go. It’s not you so much that’s the problem. It’s really a rejection, hostility, and attack on God and His Christ, Jesus. And remember, Jesus experienced rejection, scorn, and derision from His own family, and when He visited His own hometown. The ultimate scorn, hostility, and contempt happened when Jesus was nailed to the cross. The King of Glory from the heaven of heavens took the lowliest place of scorn, hostility, and contempt for you and me on the cross.
We have the same promise from Jesus that Paul received concerning the ridicule and scorn he experienced: My grace is sufficient for you.
            Paul’s prayer seemed to be answered open-endedly. He prayed three times that this thorn of contempt, scorn, and derision would be removed. However, his relief comes not in the removal of the thorn but rather in an abiding relation with Christ. As he has repeatedly made clear in 2Corinthians (a letter to the Christian Church in Corinth), salvation is granted not through the possession of gifts and powers but in participation in Christ. Here and elsewhere with Paul, grace is before all else personal favor. Like Paul, the Christian rests in God’s promises. The Christian rests in assurance of God’s favor toward him. When the devil brings scorn, derision, hostility, and contempt in your life, when people mockingly say, “Where’s your God?”, and the devil begins to whisper doubts in your ear, God reminds you that you are a baptized child of the King enthroned high above in the highest of heavens, and He’s always personally with you on your journey here.