When we stray from the straight and narrow path, which God designed for us to follow, He disciplines us because He loves us, cherishes us, and treats us as His children. If He leaves us to our own schemes and plans, it is because we have not repented of our sins, and we are not Born Again members of His family (Hebrews 12:6-8).
There is nothing that can ever separate authentic Believers from the love that Jesus’ showered on us by His willingness to face Calvary’s cross on our behalf; and there is no manner of tribulation that can shake us from the grip of God’s love – not even severe persecution, hunger, nakedness, peril or death (Romans 8:35; John 16:33).
God’s Word exhorts us to look forward to these trials, because it teaches us that these experiences sift out the dross in our life until God can see His reflection in us, and until patience has her perfecting work in us (Romans 5:3). This may take a shift of focus on our part – to embrace, rather than to retreat from trials and moments sparking our impatience.
When the birth pains of persecution come to Believers during these end times, we can joyously bear God’s shame, and the contempt that the world has for Him. We also endure the abuse they assault us with, because we claim His name as our own (Hebrews 13:13; Luke 22:31). God uses our trials so that we can comfort others, just as He comforts us in our afflictions (2 Corinthians 1:4).
When we offer our body for cruel treatment as a living sacrifice, this is our act of spiritual worship to our Father. It pleases Him that we cling to His mercy during these times of fear and anguish, because He gives us a special gift of His grace to bear the persecution with love for our persecutors (Romans 8:13, 12:1; Colossians 3:3-5).
We serve as an example to our tormentors that our faith in God is valid and true, and some of them may even be persuaded to make Him their Lord and Savior, because of the testimony of our patience during our torture and mistreatment. God give us His sufficient grace to handle every situation.
Prayer:
Father God, Your steadfast, unflinching, patient love for us sustains us through every bombardment of trauma, discouragement, persecution, and mishap that we experience each day of our life. Crushing distress and affliction cannot rob us of our peace and joy due to Your presence within us (2 Thessalonians 1:4).
Help us to traverse our trials with constant prayer, faith in Your faithfulness, and the joy of our hope in spending eternity with You in glory (Romans 12:12; 1 Peter 4:12-13). When we have to suffer grief for a brief time on this earth, we can rejoice, because our faith, which is worth more than gold, is proven genuine and brings honor and praise when Jesus is revealed (1 Peter 1:5-7; Romans 8:18).
Thought for our Day:
When we are determined to live a devoted and godly life through Christ who abides within us, we will experience persecution; if we suffer for Christ, we will also reign with Him, and we are in good company, because Saints all over the world are experiencing the same suffering.
- 2 Timothy 2:12, 3:12; 1 Peter 5:9
