Persecuted for righteousness sake – you are blessed!

Hello everyone,

How are you doing on this day? I hope well and bubbling in the Lord.

Primary Text

“God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs. “God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are My followers. Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great rewards awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted in the same way.” Matthew 5v10-11 (NLT)

Another category of people the Lord considers blessed are those who do right that is for righteousness sake. Righteousness is right standing with God, but as we know, not everyone seeks to please the Lord, and so many times, for those who will take a stand for Christ they will suffer persecution. Remember beloved, it can be even in the littlest things – refusing to cut a long waiting line and lie that actually you were in front of the line, not accepting or giving of bribes. Indeed, we are light in this world and we are sending forth a fragrance of Christ which is a reminder to the world of the God who they are trying to remove from their consciousness – and so they will tend to resist you. What then do we do when we are persecuted for righteousness sake? The Word of God tells us to be happy and very glad about it. Let us not see persecution as something strange and reserved for a specially graced few, but let us rejoice as the disciples did that we are counted worthy to bear the sufferings of Christ. 1 Peter 4v12-19 (NLT) says “Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. Instead, be very glad – for these trials make you partners with Christ in His suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing His glory when it is revealed to all the world. So be happy when you are insulted for being a Christian, for then the glorious Spirit of God rests upon you. If you suffer, however, it must not be for murder, stealing, making trouble, or prying into other people’s affairs. But it is no shame to suffer for being a Christian. Praise God for the privilege of being called by His name! For the time has come for judgment, and it must begin with God’s household. And if judgment begins with us, what terrible fate awaits those who have never obeyed God’s Good News? And also, “If the righteous are barely saved, what will happen to godless sinners?” So if you are suffering in a manner that pleases God, keep on doing what is right, and trust your lives to the God who created you, for He will never fail you.”

Prayer

Our heavenly Father, we thank You for Your Word this day. We thank You because we can suffer for righteousness sake. Father, we trust our lives into Your hands and we pray according to 1 Peter 5v10 that You o God who in Your kindness has called us to share in Your eternal glory by means of Jesus Christ, that after we have suffered a little while, You will restore, support, strengthen and place us on a firm foundation in Jesus name, amen. All power, all glory, all honour, adoration be to You, the immortal, invisible and the only wise God now and forevermore, in Jesus name we pray, amen.