Category: persecution

In the Fire

Posted on by Dorci

The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous,
and His ears are attentive to their cry;

The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them;
He delivers them from all their troubles.
The Lord is close to the brokenhearted
and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
Psalm 34:15a,17,18


I’ve heard so many stories the last couple of years from people who have gone through some extraordinarily difficult times, and of course I’ve faced times like that, too.

Times so painful I’ve wondered where God was. I’ve been brought to the place where my prayers were simply, “God, do You see me? Do You even care? Maybe we’ve all wondered that at one time or another.

Just recently I was reminded of a time a long time ago when I was raising my little boys.  (Funny how that seems like a lifetime ago and at the same time like it was just yesterday. Well, maybe last week.)

Some kind of illness was going around. My kids had just gotten over something not too long before and I just couldn’t take the thought of them being sick and miserable all over again so soon. I loved them too much.

So I prayed and asked God if one of us had to be sick then let it be me, not them. And that was one prayer He graciously and mercifully answered. Yes, I was sick for a little bit, but my sons didn’t have to suffer again so soon and I was thankful.

As the memory of that time came to mind, the Lord impressed on my heart that if I, being such an incredibly flawed parent and human being, could have that much compassion for my children, how much more compassion and love does He have for His children when they suffer?

Jesus wept with Mary and Martha as Lazarus lay in the grave even though He knew in five minutes he’d walk out, as alive as ever, and there would be tears of joy and hugs and celebrating. (Can you just imagine the party they had that night?)

Yes, He took a while in coming back to them, but He had reason to. Obvious reasons like, He wanted to grow their faith; He wanted the opportunity to perform this miracle in front of all of them, and I’m sure reasons we may never know.

And yes, it may seem like He’s taking a long time to answer our prayers, too, but that doesn’t mean He doesn’t hear our prayers, or that He doesn’t know what we’re going through, or that He doesn’t care.

It doesn’t mean He’s not right there with us in the fire, like He was with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (I wonder if they even knew He was with them amidst the flames); like He was with Job in his intense suffering; like He was with Hagar in the wilderness, like He was with Joseph when he was sold into slavery; and like He was with the Israelites as they crossed the desert for forty years.

Matthew even tells us “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call Him Immanuel (which means ‘God with us’).”
Matthew 1:23

He doesn’t stand far off. He is right there, suffering with us, having more love and compassion than I could ever comprehend, doing a great, eternal work in our hearts, and using those trials to bring Him great glory, the salvation of souls for some and the deepening of the faith of others.

He has so much love that He couldn’t bear to watch us suffer eternally, so He took on our sin-sickness and our place on the cross; He took on Himself the pain and misery that would have been ours, and kept us from an eternal death.

But He didn’t stop there. When we believed in Him He filled us with His Holy Spirit, whom He called the Comforter, who is with us, who lives in us, at all times, through all our trials and pain, no matter what.


How has God been with you in your trials?


Dear Heavenly Father, we praise you and thank you for your all-consuming love and grace and mercy. Thank you for your promise to never leave us or forsake us. When we are facing a fiery trial, help us to stay in communication with you, to remember that you are with us in it, and that you’ll use our faith in the fire to draw us ever closer to you and to bring you great glory. There is no higher calling in this life. In Jesus’ precious and holy name I pray, amen.

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Stand Firm

Posted on by Dorci

Today I feel like I have about, oh, a million and one thoughts and feelings running through my mind. It’s a day of grief and sorrow for so many reasons, for events from long ago and some much more recent. And woven throughout all those thoughts and feelings are prayers to and thoughts of my Lord Jesus and of so many of the precious, Holy Spirit-inspired words He’s given us for times such as this. 


“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’
But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
that you may be children of your Father in heaven'”
Matthew 5:43-44


“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
Romans 12:21


“Be still before the Lord
    and wait patiently for him;
do not fret when people succeed in their ways,
    when they carry out their wicked schemes.

Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;
do not fret—it leads only to evil.
For those who are evil will be destroyed,
but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.”
Psalm 37:7-9


“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.
With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.”
Ephesians 6:10-18


“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.
In this world you will have trouble.
But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
John 16:33

I don’t know about you, but I’ve been feeling the labor pains intensifying for some time now. The enemy knows his time is short and he’s prowling, and besides the obvious destruction we see, he’d love nothing more than to cause destruction in the hearts of believers by using those events to lure us into hatred, then resentment, and then bitterness, ultimately hardening our hearts.

But Jesus warned us:  “Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.” Matthew 24:12

And that brings me to one particular thought over all else that overwhelms my mind today. May our God and Father, through our Lord Jesus Christ, by the indwelling of His precious Holy Spirit, bless you and keep you.

 

“Everyone will hate you because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.”
Mark 13:13

“Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you.” 
1 Cor. 15:58a

“Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.”
1 Cor. 16:13

“Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ.”
2 Cor. 1:21

“…because it is by faith you stand firm.”
2 Cor. 1:24b

“Stand firm, then…” 
Gal. 5:1b

“Stand firm then…” 
Eph 6:14a

“Therefore, my brothers and sisters…stand firm in the Lord”
Phil. 4:1a, c

“…that you may stand firm in all the will of God…”
Col. 4:12b

“Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
Resist him, standing firm in the faith…”
1 Peter 5:8-9a

“You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near.”
James 5:8

“So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm…”
2 Thessalonians 2:15a

 

What God Does Not Promise

Posted on by Dorci

 

As we journey through life and all its twists and turns, it’s encouraging to be reminded of the promises of God, but it’s also good to remember what God does not promise. 

Jesus sat with His disciples as they ate together for the last time. He’d washed their feet, including Judas’s, showing them how they were treat one another.

Once Judas left them, He began to prepare them for what would come. 

Over and over He tells them He must go away, that He was going back to the Father, but they would see Him again. In the meantime, He would send the Comforter to be with them forever.

Then He began to prepare them for what would lay ahead – the world’s hatred, persecution, even their murders. But again He reminds them that the Spirit of truth will come and guide them.

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

There are some who believe, and some who even teach, that after we’re saved our lives will be perfect, that God will keep us from going through any hardships. But that’s not what Jesus taught. 

He did not promise a life with no trouble. 

The word for trouble here is thlipsis, which means afflicted, anguish, burdened, persecution, tribulation.

Now, that we live in a world with trouble might seem obvious, but when we’re in the middle of the affliction, the tribulation, the persecution, the anguish, we can be tempted to wonder where God is. 

Why is He allowing this? Is He angry with me? Does He hear me? Has He forgotten me? And there may even be times we wonder if we were ever saved at all. 

Jesus explicitly said these things because He knew where our minds could be tempted to go when we’re hurting, and He didn’t want us to believe those lies.

We live in a sinful world full of heartache and suffering. He did not promise to take it away, but to be with us in the middle of it. 

If you’ve ever sat with a child who’s in some kind of pain, whether emotional, physical, or spiritual, no matter how young or old they are, you know you hurt at least as much as they do, maybe more. 

You pray for them, you cry with them, you ache for them. 

If we do this with our own children, how much more will our Heavenly Father, who sent His only Son to die for us and sent us His Holy Spirit, who loves us with an everlasting love, do this with us? 

Yes, we will have trouble, but Jesus said

“…take heart! I have overcome the world.”

It’s a done deal. He’s conquered this sin-filled world and all the pain that comes along with it. He already has the victory, and in Him we have it, too. 

He will be with us through all things. And even more, He will strengthen us with courage and hope and even joy as we go through it. He will grow our faith, give us wisdom and a testimony of His grace and mercy, and prepare us for the life to come when we see our Savior face to face. 

“Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.” Psalm 30:5b

***

Heavenly Father, help us keep our eyes on you, especially when we’re going through the storms of life. We ask for your strength, courage and hope through the power of your Holy Spirit as we walk through our trials with you. Don’t let us believe in the lies of the enemy, but instead walk in faith, believing in your constant love and presence with us and your promise to prepare a home for us and take us to be with you forever. We pray in the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ, amen. 

 

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