Today, if you have faced persecution for spreading the gospel, I want to encourage you to get up and move on. Life won’t always be rosy for you as a Christian. But remember that God is with you. Above all, take good care of yourself.
Dear one, just because God has spoken to you doesn’t mean things cannot happen to you. We live in an evil age (see Galatians 1:4), where the devil, who is the god of this world (see 2 Corinthians 4:4), does not like believers in Christ to thrive in their various callings peacefully. So, embrace persecution as part of your faith journey. But don’t give up despite the setbacks you face.
Believers must rise in their various fields of endeavour to possess the land. The kingdom of the world will be ruled by Christ through partnership with believers around the world. But the acceleration towards the fulfilment of this prophecy is delayed when we remain slack concerning purpose fulfilment and stop preaching the gospel.
God’s Word clearly says in Joel 3:10 that “…Let the weakling say, ‘I am strong!’ ”. That means, even though you may feel weak, it is your words that will propel you up to be on your feet. So, words have the creative power to turn situations around.
Enough of the doubts and worries. They will do you no good when you keep holding on to it. Your life may have been plagued with several atrocities. But God is on your side. He will not watch you to be ashamed. He will never leave nor forsake you. Hope in Him and keep your head straight. It is well with you.
What God thinks and says about you is much more essential than what people say about you. If you made a mistake in the past, it doesn’t mean you are forever flawed. People may not forget your past, but if God has forgiven you, forgive yourself and move on.
You need more inner strength than you think to withstand evil days. If you have that, you’ll be able to go through terrible issues people face without breaking down as people do.
Like Joseph, who endured suffering before he was divinely exalted, those who remain steadfast will see God’s faithfulness. Lean on His grace, for it is sufficient. In the end, the sweet aftertaste of enduring love far outweighs the bitterness of temporary struggles. Keep loving Jesus; your perseverance will not go unrewarded.
Jesus said in Mark 4:30-42 that the kingdom of God is like a mustard seed which, when sown on the ground, grows up and becomes greater than all herbs, shoots out large branches, so that the birds of the air may nest under its shade. Guess what that means? God’s kingdom in you through Christ (see Luke 17:21) has the capacity to expand you so large that others can be dependent on you.
You must continue to be persistent in prayer about what you are requesting from God. That is where you must be shamelessly audacious. Some hurdles in life cannot be crossed over by remaining calm.
There is no such thing as too much study of the Bible. Again, your human spirit has an unlimited capacity to receive spiritual food from God’s Word. However, when you study, you’ll feel tiredness in your body. But you don’t need to give up.
In Matthew 7:7, Jesus said, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” This scripture significantly talks about levels of persistent prayer. That is, beyond asking, seek. And beyond seeking, knock. So, as a believer, you don’t have an excuse not to keep praying if you really want what you are requesting for.
