DAY 30 – OCT 15
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 5:10
We are told in scripture to expect persecution if we follow the Way of Jesus. However, suffering is not something we want to consider. A great deal of modern life in our culture is built around self-preservation and conformity. However, while our brothers and sisters in hostile lands face bodily harm, for most of us the biggest risk in sharing the Gospel is to our reputations and relationships. If we are bold with our witness (Acts 4:13), people will notice. The question we may have to ask ourselves is if we are willing to face this type of attention for Jesus. It may be uncomfortable. People might think we are weird. But in the end, God will receive the glory through our words and deeds.
We Pray: Heavenly Father, we don’t like thinking about persecution. However, we know that this is inevitable if we are following You. While we may never face death or imprisonment for your sake, we also have to expect to be treated differently because of our faith (John 15:20). When this happens, give the wisdom of the Holy Spirit to guide our words and actions. We pray for this in Jesus’ name. Amen.