6^th March

“I have told you these things so that you won’t abandon your faith. For you will be expelled from the synagogues, and the time is coming when those who kill you will think they are doing a holy service for God. This is because they have never known the Father or Me.”

John 16:1-3

You may read the title of today’s devotion and the Bible verse and think this is a little heavy for a Monday morning, but persecution is a reality that many believers around the world face. Sadly, throughout church history, many Christians have too been persecutors of both those outside the faith and even those inside of it, thinking they are doing a ‘holy service for God’. However, persecution doesn’t always come in the form of physical abuse, like the early church faced. Persecution takes on many forms. Verbal abuse, condemnation, family and friends disowning you and so on. BUT, in spite of all things that surround us, we can still stand firm in our faith, because of Jesus, and because we are empowered with the Holy Spirit.

Friends, when persecution comes, don’t abandon your faith, but rather hold fast to it. For it is our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, that keeps us strong, no matter what we face. We can take comfort and know that whatever we have or are facing, Jesus went through too! It is for this reason that He helps us in times of struggles, because He knows what we are going through. Let us lean on Jesus, trust in His strength, and know 100% that whatever we face, He is with us. Press on! Don’t give up!