June 10
Acts 5:41“So they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name.”
Are you a true believer? If you answered yes when was the last time you were persecuted for the sake of Christ? Or the last time you were excluded from a conversation or an event because you believe in Christ? Now if you remember a time as this ask yourself what your reaction was. Was it one of anger and annoyance because you did not believe you deserved such treatment, or was it one of one rejoicing. As we see in scripture, the true disciples of God rejoiced for suffering and enduring shame. They rejoiced over being persecuted, and thanked the Lord for the mere fact that they got the opportunity.
However, in our world today seldom will you see anyone rejoicing for being persecuted. We rather fight God because we don’t believe we deserve to endure shame or persecution. As believers we must be reminded that it is an honor to serve the Lord and beyond that it is an Honor to suffer disgrace for the name of the gospel. Suffering for the Kingdom’s sake is a blessing. Next time you are being persecuted for the name of Jesus Christ, just give yourself a reminder that you are in the right place doing the right thing. Darkness and light cannot coexist, so if in your light, darkness still has room to overcome then ask yourself how much light do you truly possess. Do not run away from persecution rather take joy in knowing that even in persecution the Lord is with you, and it is a privilege to suffer for His name sake.
