A Matter of the Heart
“As the ark of the Lord came into the city of David, Michal the daughter of Saul looked out of the window and saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, and she despised him in her heart.”
~ 2 Samuel 6:16 ESV
On April 29th, 2007, Pastor Walter Masih was attacked and beaten in front of his wife and daughter. Two men who led the attack by punching Pastor Walter in the face were joined by four others who started beating him with wooden rods. During his recovery, Pastor Walter stated: “I will never quit! I will continue the ministry I have been doing these past 17 years.”
Hearing such stories makes me wonder, how is it that people treat one another so callously? Pastor Wurmbrand, in his world-renowned book, Tortured for Christ, described the inhumane torments he suffered while detained in a Communist prison. Yet, even more ponderous are the testimonies of believers who continued to live as faithful witnesses despite the persecution they suffered.
In Matthew 6:24, Jesus says: “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” Christians who obey the Word of God will be despised by those who live according to the world’s standards. Their hearts belong to a different master, one who refuses to accept the Lordship of Jesus Christ. As a result, when they see someone walking in the light, their hearts are hardened by hate and disdain.
For example, King David’s wife Michal despised her husband’s exuberant display of worship and became indignant, believing that such actions were unfit for a king. When she snidely confronted her husband, King David replied, “I will make myself yet more contemptible than this, and I will be abased in your eyes”(2 Samuel 6:22).
Both King David and Pastor Walter demonstrated that obedience to God is the required response when facing those whose hearts are darkened with contempt. We must never respond by cultivating a heart that despises our enemies, for pure worship cannot flow from a bitter spring. If we genuinely believe Romans 8:28, which tells us “that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose,” we should respond in the opposite spirit of those who oppose and assault us.
My wife Vanessa reminded me of this important Biblical concept during one of our morning devotional times. After reading the account of how Jesus had washed the feet of His disciples before the Last Supper, Vanessa remarked, “This means that Jesus also washed the feet of Judas, who would betray Him a few hours later.” Think about that…. Even though Jesus knew what Judas would do, He demonstrated to him that there was a better way. Judas could have responded to the call of Christ to follow Him; yet sadly, the betraying disciple set out to serve his true master – in this case, 30 pieces of silver.
Proverbs 4:23 directs us to “keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.” Through the equipping of the Holy Spirit, we are called to make every effort to keep our hearts free from malice, and to not give up in fear when our enemies draw near. Therefore, let us not be troubled whenever evil presses in, but rather respond with a Christ-like heart to those who stand against us, putting our confidence in the Anointed One who has defeated sin and death.
In closing, I want to pray the following words of exhortation from Numbers 6:24-26 over your life:
“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make
His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord
lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace.”
As you live out your God-appointed calling here on this earth, may His grace and peace be evident so that many others will be drawn to Him through your faithful life and testimony.
For God's glory and honour,
Floyd A. Brobbel
Chief Executive Officer
The Voice of the Martyrs Canada Inc.
