Good Morning All,
Persecution. This is one of those phrases that most
Christians try and avoid. We read about China,
or some Islamic country and we think it always happens there. We think we know what persecution looks
like. We know about being imprisoned,
losing jobs, being physically tortured, being shunned by other family members
are just a few of these events. This is
what most of us think of when we think of persecution, and we probably think that
“At least I don’t have to go through that.”
Yet maybe we should re-think that idea.
We are all persecuted.
Persecution takes many forms. It might be as severe as being physically
beaten but it can also be a psychological or an emotional attack as well. It can be the condescension from a co-worker
because you believe abortion is a sin and should be avoided. It can be friends who don’t understand why
you don’t want to go fishing every Sunday morning, so they begin to leave you
out of other activities. Perhaps you are
expected to, “not talk about your church stuff” around the office. These are all examples of being persecuted. Anything that causes you to question whether
it is “appropriate” to show your faith, you are being persecuted.
Sometimes persecution takes a sharper
edge. Sometimes the devil and the world
aim both barrels at you and fire. You
may experience a sense of great emotional distress. You may feel at a loss when a job
disappears. You may feel lost when
relationships strain or break. You may
feel alone after talking to the doctor and he tells you he doesn’t know what is
wrong. The tests were inconclusive. Not that all events are of the devil’s doing
but he will use those events to try and cause doubt in your mind and with doubt
comes loneliness.
The devil doesn’t cause all the bad things
that happen in your life; most of these things are the result of a sinful and
broken creation. Yet the devil will take
all these problems and be right there to whisper in your ear that you are all
alone and that God doesn’t care. His
goal is to separate you from God and his family. It is vital to remember that you are never
alone; God is always with us and when one part of the body is hurting the whole-body
hurts. So, when you feel lost or alone,
all the brothers and sisters in Christ feel your pain. All true believers pray for you and share in
your pain and fears. All of us will be
persecuted by the devil and the world.
Their goal is to separate you from God but nothing, absolutely nothing
can do this. God will never forsake you;
this you can count on at all times!
Dearest Father, many times I feel lost and alone and the devil
persecutes me and causes me to lose hope.
Give me the strength to trust in your word. Give me the certainty of your promise that I
may continue to live in and experience your grace and comfort. Please be with those who are being persecuted
right now. Give them strength and bring
into their lives those fellow believers who will be your hands and arms. In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.
God’s Peace,
Pastor Bret
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