For Thy sake I have borne reproach.

Psalm 69:5-21, O God, it is Thou who dost know my folly, and my wrongs are not hidden from Thee. May those who wait for Thee not be ashamed through me, O Lord God of hosts; may those who seek Thee not be dishonored through me, O God of Israel, because for Thy sake I have borne reproach; dishonor has covered my face. I have become estranged from my brothers, and an alien to my mother’s sons. For zeal for Thy house has consumed me, and the reproaches of those who reproach Thee have fallen on me. When I wept in my soul with fasting, it became my reproach. When I made sackcloth my clothing, I became a byword to them. Those who sit in the gate talk about me, and I am the song of the drunkards. But as for me, my prayer is to Thee, O Lord, at an acceptable time; O God, in the greatness of Thy lovingkindness, answer me with Thy saving truth. Deliver me from the mire, and do not let me sink; may I be delivered from my foes, and from the deep waters. May the flood of water not overflow me, and may the deep not swallow me up, and may the pit not shut its mouth on me. Answer me, O Lord, for Thy lovingkindness is good; according to the greatness of Thy compassion, turn to me, and do not hide Thy face from Thy servant, for I am in distress; answer me quickly. Oh draw near to my soul and redeem it; ransom me because of my enemies! Thou dost know my reproach and my shame and my dishonor; all my adversaries are before Thee. Reproach has broken my heart, and I am so sick. And I looked for sympathy, but there was none, and for comforters, but I found none. They also gave me gall for my food, and for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.

Most of this can pray this prayer along with David up until he says that he has born reproach and dishonor for the sake of Jesus. Few of us in our own nation and time have been consumed by zeal to the point of bearing reproach, although many believers around the world have loved the Lord Jesus more than life itself. In the face of such terrible persecution in other parts of the world, His good news spread like wildfire. Are we who have put our trust in Jesus above Him who walked the hard road of the cross “for the joy set before Him?” Surely that joy was not the horrific torture of the cross; it was His redeeming sacrifice that sets us free from the power of sin and death. He is the One who proclaimed “I am thirsty” and receiving the offered vinegar cried out “It is finished.”

We thank You that You have redeemed us by Your blood; we are not above You, Lord, should reproach and dishonor come to us because we have put all of our trust in You. Help us to be faithful to all that You call us to do today by the power of Your Holy Spirit!