PRINCES OR PRINCIPLES?
(Psalms 119:23)
Princes also did sit and speak against me: but thy servant did meditate in thy statutes.
All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. At some time, we're all subject to mistreatment by those who are of this world. John 15:19 says, "If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you."
Being mistreated is a given (if you serve the Lord Jesus), but how to handle it is a different story. David had the best advice -- focus on the will of God. Many are mistreated, but are deceived into concentrating on what's being done TO them. When you concentrate on what people do TO you, you can become engrossed in the matter and you will eventually forget what YOUR responsibility is regarding them. That's exactly where the devil wants our minds to be.
In Psalm 119:23, David's adversaries were manifested in the person of the princes. Instead of focusing on their ill behavior, he focuses on God's principles and meditated therein. This helped him keep his focus AND his behavior in the proper place.
What about you? When mistreated, do you focus on "princes" or "principles"? Let's remember to focus on principles. When successful in this area, we eventually realize the value of loving our enemies and forgiving those who know not what they do.
