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Inexplicable Joy
Have you ever watched a movie fight in which the hero and villain trade dozens of gut punches, kicks, and whacks with boards? Just one of those blows would put me on the floor! No one wants to take a beating. That’s why we find it hard to relate to the apostles’ response to flogging.
Slightly curbing their jealousy and anger, the Sanhedrin had stopped short of ordering the execution of Peter and the apostles. Instead the Sanhedrin “had them flogged,” which takes just a couple of seconds to read, while the beatings likely went on for some time. Imagine being the next in line, first hearing and anticipating the blows, then feeling the pain, then living with the wounds and aches for weeks and probably much longer—that’s hard to comprehend.
What’s harder to understand is the apostles’ attitude. After their whipping, they left overjoyed at being counted worthy by God to take punishment for Jesus’ name.
Godly, inexplicable joy amid suffering explains why they kept teaching the message that had gotten them beaten. They were drawing from a deeper source than their own power.
What joy can you find amid your difficult circumstances? You don’t have to thank God for the physical or psychological beating that’s left you reeling, but even during the crisis you can ask Him for joy that can’t be explained away.
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About this Plan
When life hits like a tornado, where do we go? When we’re anxious about the future, to whom do we turn? Over thousands of years, God’s people have faced setbacks, even disasters. Their experiences show us ways we can respond and how our faith in God can remain intact—and maybe get even more real.
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