Isaiah 29:13 Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:

We who are in Christ, why do we not expect to be treated as the Lord was treated? Man will say one thing to our face but do another when we are not looking. How do we react when we learn the truth of their abuses? I will not speak to examples here. You can choose for yourselves how you feel and react. I want to point to what the Lord did in the very next verse.

Isaiah 29:14 Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid.

A marvelous work and a wonder is what the Lord did. He confounded their expectations. He did not react as man reacts, He is better than that. Conventional wisdoms say that man reacts in the manner you are probably thinking about. They are confounded, their understanding hidden, because the Lord has a better way to deal with abusers.

Matthew 5:44b pray for them which despitefully use you

This does a few things within your own reality which will help you deal with the abuse. Number one, when you take the high ground there is a protective advantage for your soul. Further attacks upon your soul become more difficult. Number two, it places the reactions to events in the heavenly realm where the Lord is better able to exact a just resolution to those event. Number three and perhaps the most beneficial for us is obedience of faith. This is what the Lord has asked of us and with obedience of faith comes a clear conscience and a peaceful mind.

I understand it isn’t natural, but can be practiced. Practice makes perfect.

Ezekiel 43:9 Now let them put away their whoredom, and the carcases of their kings, far from me, and I will dwell in the midst of them for ever.

This one phrase is why that glorious Kingdom temple that was so aptly described in Ezekiel will never be built. Conditional promises lay within the grasp to those to whom those conditions are placed. They were made to men, and men failed.

Shoulda, woulda, coulda, is the saddest of phrases ever rendered. They are uttered from a place of regret. They are uttered from a place of expired deadlines. They are uttered from a state of failure. Why would God give Ezekiel such a detailed description of something so grand and marvelous if it was never going to be built?

There are two types of people represented here. The first is a type to which the prophesy of that Kingdom is achievable and will eventually be built because he has faith in mankind’s ability to obey. The second is the type who sees the futility of man’s ability to obey and looks for God’s promises which are not based on conditions of man’s compliance.

Matthew 19:25-26 When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved? But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.

Romans 5:18 Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.

A free gift is both free and a gift. There are no conditions in the offering. All you have to do is accept the gift. Yet here again is the sadness in the giving. There is the shoulda, woulda, coulda of man’s willingness to receive something he didn’t earn. Like the first example of Ezekiel there is a time constraint involved. You have to accept the gift before you die.

Do not live in regret, accept the free gift and end regret.