Who's in Charge of a World That Suffers? a Billy Graham DevotionalShembull

Suffering for Christ

In the power-packed Sermon on the Mount, Jesus included these words: “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you” (Matt. 5:10–12). According to what Jesus said, not only are we to expect persecution to be our lot as we follow Christ: we are to rejoice in those persecutions! Paul echoed that divine instruction when he wrote to the Philippians who were suffering for their faith, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” (4:4). They were to rejoice not only when the going was good, but always! Circumstances are not to color our reactions to persecution. When Christians encounter trial and testing, we are to rejoice again and again, right to the end of our lives. 

The apostle John in recording Christ’s message to the church in Smyrna wrote, “Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution . . . Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Rev. 2:10). 

Mysterious as it appears to be, true faith and suffering go hand in hand. You can’t have the one without the other. 

Again, it is difficult to understand that suffering is with God’s permission. We may sometimes forget that we can bring suffering upon ourselves. It is wrong to believe, for instance, that if you are sick it is because Satan has inflicted it upon you and if you have enough faith, it will go away. Sometimes God delivers, but not always; and when He permits suffering, His grace is sufficient for you to endure it. He gives added strength. He walks hand in hand with you through your suffering, but He does not necessarily deliver you out of it. 

Writing to Timothy, his young son in the faith, Paul said, “Everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Tim. 3:12, italics mine). That is putting it pretty bluntly! I think the principle is stated clearly so that you and I, as Christians, will not be in doubt. To be sure, some seem to suffer for their faith far more than others. Some of us have never known what it means to be physically persecuted for our faith, but all true Christians are subject to subtle suffering and insidious persecution. It may lie in the ridicule of our faith by those in the world around us. It could also exist in the discreet discrimination often practiced against Christian principles in the sophisticated arena of economics and society. For example, there are often discriminatory practices against the businessman, labor leader, or political figure trying to practice biblical, ethical, and moral standards. 

Subtle persecution may happen to you in your office, school, or social gathering; an outcast and not considered “one of the crowd.” 

Victorious Suffering

No suffering that the Christian endures for Christ is ever in vain. Living for Christ, walking in His way, is not an easy path—but it is a path to peace and power. The way of the cross is a hard one, but it offers eternal rewards.

At the heart of our universe is a God who suffers in redemptive love. We experience more of His love when we suffer within an evil world. Someone has said that if one suffers without succeeding, he can be sure that the success will come in someone else’s life. If he succeeds without suffering, he can be equally sure that someone else has already suffered for him.

Respond: 

When have you experienced persecution as a result of following the Lord? How did you respond?

Read Philippians 4:4-7. What does this passage say about God's character towards those who suffer? 

Why do you think that Christians are not exempt from suffering?