Great is the reward in heaven of
those who are witnesses for Christ through persecution and reproach. While the
people are looking for earthly good, Jesus points them to a heavenly reward.
But He does not place it all in the future life; it begins here. - Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, pg. 34
“What
do you mean you are not coming to the barbeque for my birthday because it’s on Saturday
and you don’t eat meat? What kind of weirdo are you?” This happened over and
over again from the time I was in the first grade until I was in the seventh. I
was going to an Adventist school, but none of the kids in my class were
Adventists, or if they were, they did not share the same values I had. They didn’t
understand why I did things in a different way. As a little girl, I didn’t know
how to explain to them everything about my faith; I tried, but it never seemed
to work. They would just start laughing at me rudely and leave me out of the group;
sometimes I would even go home crying.
When
Jesus came to live in this world, it wasn’t easy for Him either. People mocked
Him, ridiculed Him, and didn’t want to accept Him as their Saviour. They didn’t
understand why He was different, why He was meek and humble, and why He was always
loving and caring toward others. It seemed that His work of redemption was
pointless; nobody seemed to accept it. “Jesus walked in solitude in the midst
of men. He was understood fully in heaven alone” (Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, pg. 26).
Although my reward will be seen in Heaven, I
can have heaven in my heart right now. Although I am misunderstood, mocked and
ridiculed for my faith, I can keep my eyes on Jesus because He knows what it’s
like.
~ Mildred Rhys
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