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Lord, may I never be one of those who becomes offended at a "hard saying" of Yours (John 6:60, KJV). Many of Your sayings are indeed hard, but may I never murmur against them, or ever decide to follow You no longer (John 6:61, 66).
You disturb me often, Lord, both by Your sayings and by Your actions in my life. But a Christ who never disturbed me, who never corrected me, who never disciplined me would be a Christ unworthy of my trust. I praise You for the many times You comforted and consoled me and nursed my wounded feelings back to health. But I thank You also for the times You refused to comfort me and told me to stop whining and get on with the job.
Most of the time when You give me a "hard saying" I am on the brink of a startling discovery about You or about myself. It is often a prologue to a wonderful thrust forward. It is like lightning on a black night, which suddenly reveals the landscape and shows me what I never knew was there.
Hard sayings are always dividers; they divide the *true disciples from the spurious,* they divide truths* from falsehoods,* and thay divide the *right feelings from the wrong ones.* A hard saying is a purifier that strips away all the crusty accumulations and leaves me clean.
Hard sayings are painful, Lord, and they hurt. But how much better to have a hard saying from Jesus, who loves me infinitely, than a *smooth (flowery words, flattery) saying from Satan, who only wants to *twist and bend* me away! Lord, give me sense to appreciate, yes love, Your hard sayings and so take a giant stride to glory. "I will never forget thy precepts; for with them thou hast given me life" (Psalm 119:93, NSRB).
"The Lord's lovingkindness indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail! They are new every morning; great is Thy faithfulness" (Lamentations 3:22-23). *AMEN*
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