SHIELD FOR THE OPPRESSED

Verse for Today: Tuesday, October 05, 2010

Psalms 9:9 - The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.

We live in a world which oppresses people on the basis of their human distinctive. The mighty oppress the weak to satisfy their own selfish interests. Often the weak get exasperated as they suffer the consequences of oppression. Sometimes they retaliate aggressively against their oppressors. And so the war of oppression and counter-oppression keep going and that has filled the columns of the history of mankind. But oppression starts with people breaking the commandments of God and living in their own ways. There is a special kind of oppression when the enemy of our souls use other human beings to oppress the children of God. They are ill-treated in families, neighbourhoods, schools and workplaces for various reasons, most of which boil down to their faith in God and the stand they take for God. They are threatened and psychological blows are inflicted on them. They face punishments for crimes they never committed. They often encounter the dragons of misrepresentations and misinterpretations from behind to stifle them. The ideas behind these oppressions are many. Sometimes, we are oppressed so that we lose our joy in Christan life and become complainers. Sometimes, it is to challenge us to forsake our faith or to question God for allowing these events in our lives. Some other times, it is to make us take revenge and belittle ourselves to their level. These oppressors are the agents of the enemy of our soul and he enjoys watching God's children suffer pain and misery as they are oppressed. We see that great men of God in the Bible went through oppression of various kind. The examples of Joseph, David, Gideon, Jeremiah, Paul and others stand out for us to learn from. They all escaped the wrath of oppression by hiding under the wings of our Lord and took refuge behind the Heavenly Shield. And the Lord protected them all and fulfilled His great purpose through them all in spite of the oppressions they all had to go through.

Hello friend, are you a victim of oppression by the enemy directly and through his agents? Perhaps he has created several unfortunate situations in your life to oppress you and used circumstances to repress your spirit. At times, when you might be going through it all alone, it might become unbearable and you might even ask the Lord as to why He is allowing this to happen in your life. If you look at the Lord Jesus, you will see that He was the prime example of oppression. He was brutally dealt with by the enemy through the Jewish religion, Roman Empire, people of Palestine, the moral and social evils which prevailed in that land during that time and even by one of His pseudo disciples by the name Judas Iscariot. He was physically abused and persecuted. They misrepresented and misinterpreted all that He said. His very motives were questioned. They deprived Him of fundamental rights, and denied even drinking water and sleep. When He died for their sins, they interpreted it as punishment from God. He knows what oppression is and what it means to go through it all, especially all alone, with not even His dearest friends to stand with Him. This Jesus knows what it is to go through oppression and He comes and stands close to His children when they are ill-treated by this world. He covers them with His wings and protects them from the wiles of the mouth of the evil people around them. He becomes their defense and shield. He reassures us as we go through oppression that there is a reward attached to being oppressed by the hand of human beings. It also helps us to develop patience and maturity and to learn to respond in a Christ-like manner. So, dear friend, if you are oppressed, your Lord who was once oppressed for you will be with you to cover you under His shadows and protect you. He will give you the grace to go through it all and come out with a glorious disposition like that of Joseph, Daniel, Stephen, Paul and scores of other saints through the last centuries. The Lord will prove to you that He is your shield to protect you and that He will comfort you like a mother comforts her baby. In Him you will find peace and grace to praise Him even when you go through oppression. He will prepare you for a life where there will be no more oppression.

Psalms 7:10 - My shield is God Most High, who saves the upright in heart.

Thought for Today
The oppressions we humbly endure in this world because of righteous living is our response to the oppressions the Lord Jesus had endured for us.

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