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Heaven’s Honor Roll, September 21
But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall
come forth as gold.
Job 23:10
.
The Christian who loves his heavenly Father may not discern by
outward providences or visible signs any heavenly favor above that given
those with little or no consecration. Often he is sorely afflicted, distressed,
perplexed, and hedged in on every side. Appearances seem to be against
him....
Joseph was virtuous and his character was marked for true goodness
and strength of purpose, yet he was maligned, persecuted, and dealt with
as a criminal; but God had signal victories for Joseph, even as he appeared
to suffer because of his rightdoing.
Daniel was cast into the lion’s den because of his firm adherence to
principle and his loyalty to God, but he triumphed in the end, and God
was glorified through His servant whom He permitted to be humbled. Job
was stripped of his earthly treasures, bereaved of his children, and made a
spectacle of loathing to his friends, but in God’s time He showed He had
not forsaken His servant....
A true and faithful Stephen was stoned to death by the enemies of
Christ. Surely it did not appear that God was strengthening His cause
in the earth by thus permitting wicked men to triumph, but from this
very circumstance Paul was converted to the faith, and through his word
thousands were brought to the light of the gospel.
A precious, affectionate John was an exile on the lonely Isle of Patmos,
but here Jesus met with him and revealed to him events ... stretching over
the ages to the coming of Christ, and making known the counsel of the
Lord for future ages.... He was permitted to look upon the throne of God
and to behold the white-robed redeemed ones who had come out of great
tribulation and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of
the Lamb.
If you are called to go through the fiery furnace for His sake, Jesus will
be by your side even as He was with the faithful three in Babylon. Those
who love their Redeemer will rejoice at every opportunity of sharing with
Him humiliation and reproach. The love they bear their Lord makes
suffering for His sake sweet.
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