Responding to Rebuke

1 Samuel 27; Psalms 141; 1 Chronicles 9; Matthew 10 

“Let a righteous man strike me – it is a kindness; let him rebuke me – it is oil on my head. My head will not refuse it…But my eyes are fixed on you, O Sovereign Lord; in you I take refuge – do not give me over to death. Keep me from the snares they have laid for me, from the traps set by evildoers.”

Psalm 141:5, 8, 9

How we respond to the rebuke of others reveals our level of spiritual maturity, much more than the knowledge we possess. When David received rebukes from the righteous it was like anointing oil because he knew these rebukes were God’s loving discipline. The snares and traps of evildoers were a different matter from which David cried out to God for sovereign protection and deliverance. The character and motive of those rebuking us makes all the difference.

How are we responding to rebuke?

“Lord Jesus, you said we could expect opposition, persecution, and attacks on our faith and life if we follow you. I humble myself before you and pray for deliverance, for your glory.”