What do you do when speaking the truth makes people turn against you?
It is one thing to know what Scripture says.
It is another thing to say it when you know someone may become angry, accuse you of being unloving, or distance himself from you because of it.
And sometimes the people who oppose us are not strangers.
They may be friends.
Co-workers.
People in authority.
Or even members of our own family.
Ezekiel understood what it was like to speak truth to people who did not want to hear it.
God described them as hard-hearted and rebellious.
Yet He did not tell Ezekiel to soften the message until it became acceptable.
Instead, He told him:
“Do not be afraid of them.”
And then God promised to make Ezekiel strong enough for the assignment He had given him.
That does not mean we should become harsh, argumentative, or hard-hearted ourselves.
The strength God gives us is the strength to remain faithful while still being humble, gentle, and blameless.
Jesus warned that those who belong to Him should not be surprised when the world responds with hostility.
And Peter knew that lesson personally.
He once became so afraid that he denied even knowing Jesus.
Yet later, he would tell suffering Christians not to fear threats, but to be ready to give an answer with meekness and reverence.
What changed?
And what can his transformation teach us when we are tempted to remain silent?
Today we’ll look at how God strengthens His people to speak truth, why persecution should not surprise us, and how we can remain faithful without becoming fearful, angry, or bitter.
Welcome to “God’s Word Day by Day,” where I blog through the Bible in a Year. I hope you’ll join me every day. If you’re not already signed up, you can do it here or subscribe and watch on YouTube.
Today’s Readings:
Ezekiel 3 & 4
Psalm 119.161-168
Proverbs 28.13
Hebrews 2.1-18
What Should You Do When Speaking the Truth Makes People Turn Against You?
Ezekiel 3 & 4:
Strength for the Job
Chapter 3.8-9:
Behold, I have made your face strong against their faces, and your forehead strong against their foreheads. Like adamant stone, harder than flint, I have made your forehead; do not be afraid of them, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they are a rebellious house.
Ezekiel had a difficult job. Even after their years of rebellion had taken them into captivity, the people had not softened their hearts or turned back to God. Instead, they had become more rebellious.
We live in a society today where many people have similar attitudes.
It can be very difficult to speak the truth when we’re made to look unloving or judgmental. But since God has called us to live at this time in history, we can take heart in the fact that God will give us the strength and enable us to be the light wherever and in whatever circumstances He has placed us!
Like Ezekiel, He will make our faces and our foreheads as strong and hard as necessary. That does not mean we are to harden our hearts or become argumentative or angry, rather we are to be “blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation” and trust Him to give us the inner strength and the determination to be light in a dark world as we “hold fast the Word of life” (Phil. 2.15-16).
Today’s Other Readings:
Psalm 119.161-168:
Persecuted without a Cause
Princes persecute me without a cause but my heart stands in awe of Your word (v. 161).
Sometimes it’s not just that it’s hard to speak the truth, but we can also suffer outright persecution.
And as I said in the introduction, the “princes” may be members of our own family or others we love and care about, or they may be people in places of authority. But we shouldn’t be surprised by persecution. Jesus warned us to expect it:
19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. 21 But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me (Jn. 15).
Better to Suffer for Doing Good
But the Apostle Peter reminded us in 1 Peter 3:
13 And who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good? 14 But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you are blessed. “And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled.” 15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; 16 having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed. 17 For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.
Peter, the Apostle who had once denied Christ, had come to understand that even suffering for Christ was a great privilege. It is said that when he was martyred, he asked to be crucified upside down because he didn’t consider himself worthy to die the same way as his Lord.
Proverbs 28.13:
Hidden Sin
He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.
We may be able to put on a good front for others. Some people even manage to live a double life for many years, hiding a sinful lifestyle while appearing to serve God. But God is omniscient—He knows everything—even the sinful thoughts and intents of our hearts. And no matter how it looks from the outside, unconfessed and unforsaken sin always has consequences.
Hebrews 2.1-18:
Our Merciful & Faithful High Priest
As I said yesterday, Hebrews is a study in contrasts. It compares the sacrificial system to Jesus and His finished work on the cross. Verse 17:
Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.
Charles Ryrie, in his book Basic Theology, says propitiation is “the turning away of the wrath of God because of the offering of Christ.”
Because Christ’s sacrificial death satisfied God’s wrath against sin, those who have accepted His sacrifice by faith don’t have to pay the penalty that their sin deserves, which is eternal separation from God.
And, while a true believer cannot lose his or her salvation, our fellowship with God is hindered when we sin. It is restored when we confess and turn from it.
If you’re not sure you have accepted Christ by faith or don’t know what that means, please don’t let another day go by without being sure. You might start by reading this post, “Could You Be a Christian in Name Only?” Then consider talking to a pastor or someone you know whose life reflects Christ’s. You can also leave me a comment. I will be glad to respond here or by email.
Too often, people think they have time to get right with God, but no one is guaranteed tomorrow! Or as 2 Corinthians 6:2 says, “…today is the day of salvation.”
Coming Up:
In the next few days, we’ll talk about why God doesn’t immediately deal with some things, pose the question, “Does Salvation + Time + Knowledge = Spiritual Maturity?”, and discuss whether we can be addicted to religion.
I hope you’ll sign up so you don’t miss any of them. You might also like to check out the latest videos on our YouTube channel.
And if this post spoke to you, consider sharing it on your favorite social media platform.
Blessings as you grow in Christ,
Donna ♥
Note about this post:
I began blogging through the Bible in 2012 and have done so every year since then. These posts are the product of many edits and additions throughout those years.
A while ago, I read Jen Wilkin’s book None Like Him about the attributes of God. One is His incomprehensibility. In it, she says, “God is incomprehensible. This does not mean that he is unknowable, but that he is unable to be fully known.”
I have found that to be true each year as I’ve gone back through the Bible. Sometimes I find myself feeling as if a passage just appeared there for the first time. I’m reminded that no matter how many times we read through the Bible, we have only scratched the surface. I hope you feel the same.
Indeed these are the mere edges of His ways,
And how small a whisper we hear of Him!
But the thunder of His power who can understand?” (Job 26.14)
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