Do not be silent, O God of my praise.
For wicked and deceitful mouths are opened
against me,
speaking against me with lying tongues.
They beset me with words of hate,
and attack me without cause.
In return for my love they accuse me,
even while I make prayer for them.
So they reward me evil for good,
and hatred for my love.
But you, O LORD my LORD,
act on my behalf for your name's sake;
because your steadfast love is good, deliver
me.
For I am poor and needy,
and my heart is pierced within me.
I am gone like a shadow at evening;
I am shaken off like a locust.
My knees are weak through fasting;
my body has become gaunt.
I am an object of scorn to my accusers;
when they see me, they shake their heads.
Help me, O LORD my God!
Save me according to your steadfast love.
Let them know that this is your hand;
you, O LORD, have done it.
Let them curse, but you will bless.
Let my assailants be put to shame; may your
servant be glad.
May my accusers be clothed with dishonor;
may they be wrapped in their own shame as in a
mantle.
With my mouth I will give great thanks to the
LORD;
I will praise him in the midst of the throng.
For he stands at the right hand of the needy,
to save them from those who would condemn them
to death.
Psalm 109, selected verses
Those who persecute me with evil purpose draw
near;
they are far from your law.
Yet you are near, O LORD,
and all your commandments are true.
Long ago I learned from your decrees
that you have established them forever.
Look on my misery and rescue me,
for I do not forget your law.
Plead my cause and redeem me;
give me life according to your promise.
Salvation is far from the wicked,
for they do not seek your statutes.
Great is your mercy, O LORD;
give me life according to your justice.
Many are my persecutors and my adversaries,
yet I do not swerve from your decrees.
I look at the faithless with disgust,
because they do not keep your commands.
Consider how I love your precepts;
preserve my life according to your steadfast
love.
The sum of your word is truth;
and every one of your righteous ordinances
endures forever.
Psalm 119:150-160
"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for
theirs is the kingdom
of
heaven.
"Blessed are those who mourn, for they
will be comforted.
"Blessed are the meek, for they will
inherit the earth.
"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst
for righteousness, for
they will
be filled.
"Blessed are the merciful, for they will
receive mercy.
"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they
will see God.
"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they
will be called children
of God.
"Blessed are those who are persecuted for
righteousness' sake,
for theirs is
the kingdom of heaven.
"Blessed are you when people revile you
and persecute you and
utter all
kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.
Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great
in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were
before you.
Matthew 5:3-12
"If the world hates you, be aware that it
hated me before it hated you. If you belonged to the world, the world
would love you as its own. Because you do not belong to the world,
but I have chosen you out of the world — therefore the world
hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, 'Servants are not
greater than their master.' If they persecuted me, they will
persecute you; if they kept my word, they will keep yours also. But
they will do all these things to you on account of my name, because
they do not know him who sent me. If I had not come and spoken to
them, they would not have sin; but now they have no excuse for their
sin. Whoever hates me hates my Father also. If I had not done among
them the works that no one else did, they would not have sin. But now
they have seen and hated both me and my Father. It was to fulfill the
word that is written in their law, 'They hated me without a cause.'
"When the Advocate comes, whom I will send
to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who comes from the
Father, he will testify on my behalf. You also are to testify because
you have been with me from the beginning.
"I have said these things to you to keep
you from stumbling. They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed,
an hour is coming when those who kill you will think that by doing so
they are offering worship to God. And they will do this because they
have not known the Father or me. But I have said these things to you
so that when their hour comes you may remember that I told you about them.
John 15:18-16:4
I consider that the sufferings of this present
time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to
us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of
the children of God; for the creation was subjected to futility, not
of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope
that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay
and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. We
know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until
now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first
fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the
redemption of our bodies. For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is
seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? But if we hope for
what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness;
for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit
intercedes with sighs too deep for words. And God, who searches the
heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit
intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
We know that all things work together for good
for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. For
those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the
image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn within a
large family. And those whom he predestined he also called; and those
whom he called he also justified; and those whom he justified he also
glorified.
Romans 8:18-30
Therefore, since it is by God's mercy that we
are engaged in this ministry, we do not lose heart. We have renounced
the shameful things that one hides; we refuse to practice cunning or
to falsify God's word; but by the open statement of the truth we
commend ourselves to the conscience of everyone in the sight of God.
And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are
perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds
of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel
of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For we do not
proclaim ourselves; we proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and ourselves as
your slaves for Jesus' sake. For it is the God who said, "Let
light shine out of darkness," who has shone in our hearts to
give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of
Jesus Christ.
But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that
it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and
does not come from us. We are afflicted in every way, but not
crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not
forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body
the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be made
visible in our bodies. For while we live, we are always being given
up to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus may be made
visible in our mortal flesh. So death is at work in us, but life in you.
But just as we have the same spirit of faith
that is in accordance with scripture — "I believed, and so
I spoke" — we also believe, and so we speak, because we
know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with
Jesus, and will bring us with you into his presence. Yes, everything
is for your sake, so that grace, as it extends to more and more
people, may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.
2 Corinthians 4:1-15
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great
a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin
that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race
that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of
our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him
endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at
the right hand of the throne of God.
Consider him who endured such hostility against
himself from sinners, so that you may not grow weary or lose heart.
In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point
of shedding your blood. And you have forgotten the exhortation that
addresses you as children —
"My child, do not regard lightly the
discipline of the Lord,
or lose heart when you are punished by him;
for the Lord disciplines those whom he loves,
and chastises every child whom he
accepts."
Endure trials for the sake of discipline. God
is treating you as children; for what child is there whom a parent
does not discipline? If you do not have that discipline in which all
children share, then you are illegitimate and not his children.
Moreover, we had human parents to discipline us, and we respected
them. Should we not be even more willing to be subject to the Father
of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as
seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, in order
that we may share his holiness. Now, discipline always seems painful
rather than pleasant at the time, but later it yields the peaceful
fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
Hebrews 12:1-11
Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery
ordeal that is taking place among you to test you, as though
something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you
are sharing Christ's sufferings, so that you may also be glad and
shout for joy when his glory is revealed. If you are reviled for the
name of Christ, you are blessed, because the spirit of glory, which
is the Spirit of God, is resting on you. But let none of you suffer
as a murderer, a thief, a criminal, or even as a mischief maker. Yet
if any of you suffers as a Christian, do not consider it a disgrace,
but glorify God because you bear this name. For the time has come for
judgment to begin with the household of God; if it begins with us,
what will be the end for those who do not obey the gospel of God?
And
"If it is hard for the righteous to be
saved,
what will become of the ungodly and the
sinners?"
Therefore, let those suffering in accordance
with God's will entrust themselves to a faithful Creator, while
continuing to do good.
1 Peter 4:12-19
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