09/17/2020
How is our faith affected when we face physical suffering, and how about the times when we are tormented spiritually by people who don’t want us to speak the gospel to those who need to hear it? All of the apostle’s faced rejection and trials as they carried the good news of Jesus Christ around the world, but even though they faced great physical and spiritual abuse, they continued on... even to horrific death and martyrdom. Can we hold to our faith in the face of such persecution?
“strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.”
Acts 14:22 ESV
The apostle Paul was mercilessly stoned in Lystra; to the point that they dragged him outside the city and left him there for dead. I dare say that this has never happened to us, and that we can’t imagine enduring such punishment, but here lies Paul... bloody, filthy, and broken for Christ.
“But Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and having persuaded the crowds, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead.”
Acts 14:19 ESV
We rarely face such punishment as this in our lives of faith today, and yet the threats, and lesser inconveniences we call suffering can shake the faith of so many of us. Don’t misunderstand me, there are Christians who are murdered, have their families slaughtered, and their homes burned to the ground in various parts of the world today, but to the greatest percentage of Christians this is inconceivable. So how secure would our faith be in the face of such persecution, especially if simple hurt feelings can drive us from our church, or if someone shoving us as a warning because we are meek in the face of confrontation can cause us to rethink our spirituality? Do we lean on God for His protection, and trust that He will see us through such suffering, or do we turn away from Jesus and go home defeated?
Amazing things happen when we suffer for our faith, and miracles aren’t uncommon in the face of great persecution and death. Take Paul for instance; the crowd dragged his lifeless body out of the city, probably spit on him, and threw a couple more stones at him just for good measure, and left him there for dead. But what happened next? When the disciples came to claim his body, he rose up!
“But when the disciples gathered about him, he rose up and entered the city, and on the next day he went on with Barnabas to Derbe.”
Acts 14:20 ESV
Not much is made of Paul rising up from supposed death, but why wasn’t it? Had they seen such occurrences before? Did they expect God to intervene? Whatever the reason was, this is treated with very little fanfare, and the next day they didn’t nurse him back to health, because he was well enough to travel with Barnabas to Derbe. How would we have reacted to such a miraculous occurrence, and how do we expect God to intervene in our lesser suffering? Some of us lose our faith and walk away from Jesus for far less than this, but what did Paul do? He shook the dust from his feet and moved on to the next town and preached... then came right back to Lystra where he had been so viciously stoned, and on to the cities where the Jews lived that instigated his stoning... preaching in each of them.
“When they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch,”
Acts 14:21 ESV
So, I ask again, how is our faith affected when we face physical suffering? Do we expect God to work in us through our persecution, or do we step away, and either lose faith altogether, or find our spirituality shaken? Does a sharp word from someone at church cause our pride to be wounded, our feelings to be hurt, and us to leave the congregation altogether, or do we rise up, and continue on? What about spiritual tribulation? If we are accosted in the street regarding the content of our faith, or told that we are spiritually weak, and that God has abandoned us; how do we react? Do we let such attacks against the substance of what we believe rattle us, and make us doubt in Christ? Well, this kind of tribulation is different from physical suffering, but the end result can be the same... lost faith, and destroyed belief.
“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.”
Hebrews 10:23 ESV
Today I ask that each of us examine the strength of our belief, and faith. If we find them wanting, or we have any doubt, then pray for them to be strengthened, and that we be prepared for the physical and spiritual attacks that will most certainly come. We live in a chaotic world dominated by the dark one, and He awaits his opportunity to confront us. He is always looking for our weakness, and the smallest chink in our armor where he can wedge his spear. He comes against us when we least expect it... even in our churches, so are we ready?
“And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!””
Mark 9:23-24 ESV
Prayer:
Father, thank you for standing with me in the face of persecution, and for lifting me up when my enemies have stoned me for my faith. Give me courage Lord to stand firm in my faith before those who lash out at me, and dress me Father in your Holy armor so that no sword, spear, or arrow, can injure me as I enter the field of battle against your enemies. Holy, Holy, Holy, are you my God who teaches me in the midst of my tribulation, and strengthens me despite my injuries. Great are you who has sent your Son Jesus to teach and abide in me, and your Holy Spirit to comfort me in those times when my spirit suffers. Merciful are you Lord for in my travail you find the goodness, and teach me to see you more perfectly. You are full of grace, and though I am unworthy alone, you have sent angels to strengthen me, Jesus to redeem me, and your Holy Spirit to comfort me. All glory is yours Father, and each and every lash I take is for your glory alone. Lift me up as you did Paul, send me on to continue in my service to you, and, when my time has come to rise up with Christ, I pray that you will find me covered by His blood, and made worthy of your table through His suffering, and sacrifice. Seat me before you Lord, and hear my praise forevermore.
“When they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God. And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.”
Acts 14:21-23 ESV
Rich Forbes