12th August

The Lord stood near Paul and said: "take courage!"Acts 23, 11

Alone and rejected

For several people whose circle of friends are not believers, emptiness creates itself around them when they have accepted Jesus Christ as their Saviour and opened their heart to God's love. This situation can become a tragedy. This often happens in countries with a totalitarian regime in a political and religious way. When such cases happen in the family, it is very difficult to stand fast, man needs the whole spiritual force which God gives.

Let us think about Joseph who was rejected by his brothers, who was sold to be a slave and then who was thrown into prison. He did not loose courage and God helped him in a miraculous way. Let us think about the apostle Paul who says in sorrow: "Everyone deserted me. But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength" (2 Timothy 4, 16 & 17).

If it concerns a married couple of which only one member is a believer, God's word encourages the believer not to desert the unbeliever with the hope, that he/she may be won over without words but by the behaviour of the believer (1 Corinthians 7, 12 - 14 ; 1 Peter 3, 1 & 2).

David says in Psalm 27, 10: "Though my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will receive me." The Lord Jesus was deserted by his people: "He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.quot; (John 1, 11), and by his family: "For even his own brothers did not believe in him" (John 7, 5). The sufferings of our Saviour are the guarantee that he can sympathize with those who are isolated or rejected.