DO NOT BE OFFENDED IN CHRIST

“And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.”

Matthew 11:6

John the Baptist had spent his life preparing for the coming of Jesus. He had made the sacrifice to stay in the wilderness just to ensure he was prepared for his purpose as a forerunner. But at the time he was thrown into the prison, he doubted who Jesus was. He wondered why he would be in prison instead of preparing the people’s heart towards Jesus. To be certain, he had to send his disciples to go ask Jesus if He was truly the One who was to come or if they should expect another.

Rather than being disappointed in John for doubting Him, Jesus’ response was astonishing. After telling John’s disciples to report the miracles they had seen Him do, Jesus said, “Blessed is he who is not offended in me.”

We’ve heard of stories where believers turn away from Jesus after encountering certain things that they prayed against. That is an example of what it means to be offended in Christ. John expected that if Jesus was truly the Messiah, then why would he have allowed him to remain in the prison instead of helping him out so that he could fulfill his purpose as the forerunner.

How many times have you been tempted to close the door on following Jesus because despite all, everything still looks bleak—just like when John was in prison?

How many times have you felt like you’re at the end of your rope because you’re tired of the mockery of men, you’re tired of waiting, and it seems like Jesus is right there looking at you, and doing nothing? How many times have you prayed for a miracle, and it is as if the heavens are silent? I want the words of Jesus to ring in your heart today, “Blessed are those who are not offended in me.”

Those words are so powerful. Your trust in God and His word ensures offences do not rise in your heart against Him. Trusting in God is having faith that the God whom you serve can never take His eyes off you. We know God can be trusted when we believe that He is working full-time behind the scenes for our good, even though our limited knowledge we cannot see it yet.

We know what the end looks like. We know that our Father is very deliberate about our lives, and each step He allows us to take is in preparation of what He wants us to be.

God can be trusted. Do not allow offences to rise in your heart at how long the waiting period might be; instead, put your head down and yield to the preparatory classes in the time of waiting.

Other alternatives, no matter how beautifully advertised, are just fluff. They are there for a moment and can lead to regrets later. Don’t waste your time with them. TRUST GOD. I always say this to myself, “The truth is, if I had the opportunity to see the entirety of what is in store for me, I would probably ask God to let me go through the steps He’s taking me through.”

Usually, it is after arriving at the last bus stop that we understand why we had to take a particular road to get there. Therefore, if you don’t give up, you’ll understand by and by. In the meantime, trust that God knows what He is doing in your life. He can be trusted. Leave your life in His hands, don’t take it back. I pray the Lord gives us great grace.

Prayer

1. Father, I present my heart to you. If there are offenses already rising within, please heal me.

2. Lord, give me the grace to stay and walk steadfastly with You.

3. Father, I pray for the grace to submit to your preparations so that my waiting will not be in vain.

4. Help me, Lord! Help my unbelief. Help me to trust you in the name of Jesus.

This is our message for today, and we hope you were blessed. We’d also love to hear from you; please comment below.

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Have a blessed day!