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Prepare: What reasons do you have to thank God for today?
Worthy of suffering
Richard Wurmbrand, a Romanian pastor who spent many years in communist prisons because of his faith, once wrote that, ‘a faith that can be destroyed by suffering is not faith’ (If Prison Walls Could Speak, Hodder & Stoughton, 1972). Not only did suffering fail to destroy the apostles’ faith, they actually rejoiced that they had been counted worthy of suffering for Christ (v 41).
Reading this account of the apostles’ experiences, I can’t help wondering what I would have done in their place. Maybe I would have simply obeyed the authorities and ceased to preach. Or maybe I would have carried on, but quietly, so as not to attract attention. Perhaps – hopefully – I would have done as the apostles did, preaching Jesus wherever and whenever possible.
Remember to rejoice
I don’t know how I would have acted, but I’m pretty sure that ‘rejoicing’ wouldn’t have been my reaction to imprisonment and flogging. It is more likely to have been self-pity and complaining, or anger, or resentment, or even pride at how like Jesus I had become.
How did the apostles manage to rejoice? Perhaps they recalled Jesus’ words in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:11–12), that we are blessed when we are persecuted for his sake and that our reward in heaven will be great.
Respond: Pray for our Christian brothers and sisters around the world who face imprisonment, beatings and death because of their witness for Christ.
http://www.wordlive.org/Session/Classic/2012-07-05
Worthy of suffering
Richard Wurmbrand, a Romanian pastor who spent many years in communist prisons because of his faith, once wrote that, ‘a faith that can be destroyed by suffering is not faith’ (If Prison Walls Could Speak, Hodder & Stoughton, 1972). Not only did suffering fail to destroy the apostles’ faith, they actually rejoiced that they had been counted worthy of suffering for Christ (v 41).
Reading this account of the apostles’ experiences, I can’t help wondering what I would have done in their place. Maybe I would have simply obeyed the authorities and ceased to preach. Or maybe I would have carried on, but quietly, so as not to attract attention. Perhaps – hopefully – I would have done as the apostles did, preaching Jesus wherever and whenever possible.
Remember to rejoice
I don’t know how I would have acted, but I’m pretty sure that ‘rejoicing’ wouldn’t have been my reaction to imprisonment and flogging. It is more likely to have been self-pity and complaining, or anger, or resentment, or even pride at how like Jesus I had become.
How did the apostles manage to rejoice? Perhaps they recalled Jesus’ words in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:11–12), that we are blessed when we are persecuted for his sake and that our reward in heaven will be great.
Respond: Pray for our Christian brothers and sisters around the world who face imprisonment, beatings and death because of their witness for Christ.
http://www.wordlive.org/Session/Classic/2012-07-05
Scripture
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WordLive provides a daily slice of Bible reading and commentary that, over four years, covers most of the Bible. The commentary encourages the reader to engage with the Bible passage in order to deepen their relationship with God, through reflection and practical application. The WordLive website offers further multimedia content and group Bible study, while registration offers a daily email, journal and bookmarking, and community tools.
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