Don’t be Surprised

Moving on from there, He entered their synagogue. There He saw a man who had a paralyzed hand. And in order to accuse Him they asked Him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”

But He said to them, “What man among you, if he had a sheep that fell into a pit on the Sabbath, wouldn’t take hold of it and lift it out? A man is worth far more than a sheep, so it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.”

Then He told the man, “Stretch out your hand.” So he stretched it out, and it was restored, as good as the other. But the Pharisees went out and plotted against Him, how they might destroy Him.
(Matthew 12:9-14 Holman Christian Standard Bible® ©)

Your ministry may be somewhere other than a congregation. In that place where you serve Jesus, there are likely to be people who are not godly, who, in fact, are happy to find a way to destroy you. Serve Him well there, with no fear of being cast out or harmed.

Just as David apparently said when his son Absalom was intending to destroy him, “I did not make myself King. Yahweh made me king, and He can keep me king or replace me.” (2 Samuel 15:25-26)

Expect every difficulty in the place where God has sent you to be turned into benefit. Some benefits are costly, some are painful, but the more inclined we are to expect our King to be at work in us and around us and through us, the greater space we are creating for Him to do just those things.

Don’t be surprised when people plot against you. Be surprised that they are silly enough to think they will prevail against your purpose. Your purpose is the desire of Yahweh. Expect Him to be satisfied in your life by surrendering it completely to Him.