“”Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
Devotion
When I imagine what it would feel like to be persecuted, I honestly don’t think of anything positive. In fact, I imagine that a lot of my initial thoughts would focus on the negative and potentially awful things that are taking place. And when I read this “blessed are you when others revile and persecute you…” I’m thinking who is blessed? Because it seems that I actually am up a river without a paddle and could use some rescuing.
But this is where I need to refocus myself on this specific biblical truth. Jesus is telling me that I am blessed for experiencing those things. And not only should I feel blessed; I should be rejoicing for my reward is great in heaven. Keeping this promise from Jesus in the back of my head enables me to demonstrate the joy and love of Christ— especially during hardships, and directly to those who may be causing the situation or injustice we are experiencing.
Is this easy to do? Is it easy to show joy to someone persecuting me? No; in fact it’s very challenging. But we have the ability to lean on God through these situations. If we were expected to navigate every situation on our own, we would not have any need for God. But in relying on Him, we can overcome, conquer, and continue to show the unconditional love of Christ. We just have to continue walking in faith, and like Peter be ready to step into the unknown and uncharted waters, relying on the Holy Spirit to help us to navigate those situations.
Prayer:
Dear Heavenly Father,
I come to you today to recognize all of the injustices and persecution that is taking place. Lord, I call on you to help us as believers navigate these situations. Give us the strength and wisdom necessary to count it all as blessings. Help us to not forget your promises, and that our ultimate reward is eternal. Lord I pray for the broken world we live in. I pray that we as believers have opportunities to be bold in sharing your word this week. That we can walk and share the burdens our peers may be facing. I pray for those who are experiencing injustice or persecution turn to you for strength. I pray they find a strong community of believers to also rely on during those times. In Your heavenly name I pray, amen.
Author: Justin Artymenko
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