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Prepare Your Heart

To the best of your ability, get rid of all distractions. Take a few minutes to breathe deeply and quiet yourself in the Lord’s presence. Then, ask the Lord to speak to you in this time. Let Him know that you will listen and make whatever adjustments He will reveal to you.

Read God’s Word

2 Chronicles 33-34
Acts 9:10-30

A Verse for Today

Slowly and reflectively read the following verse(s) and listen to what God will say to you through His written Word. Consider writing down any insights He reveals to you.

Acts 9:15-16 (CSB): “But the Lord said to him, ‘Go, for this man is my chosen instrument to take my name to Gentiles, kings, and Israelites. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.’”

Reflecting on God’s Word

As Acts 9 begins, Saul is saved. The Lord meets him on the road to Damascus and brings his tirade against the church to an end. Saul’s life is transformed and he has become a devoted Jesus-follower.

But, what the Lord tells him is much different than what many contemporary Christians expect of their own lives. So many trust in Jesus as their Lord and Savior, and then expect that they will live a blessed life. In fact, there is a whole “health and wealth” branch of contemporary Christianity that tells people that if they exert enough faith, life will go well for them and they will essentially be immune to trouble.

So, the result is that people embrace Jesus and expect life to go easy on them. And when the inevitable difficulties come along for taking stances that are distinctly Christian, those folks might wipe their hands clean of Christianity and abandon the faith (almost assuredly demonstrating that they were never truly saved).

What we need to tell people is that giving their life to Jesus will be the beginning of an adventure. The Lord may choose to shower them with blessings along the way. But the Lord will also allow suffering to be their experience. In fact, the more serious they get about following the Lord Jesus, the greater the chance of others causing trouble for them. (Think of the books or movies about adventures, and they almost always include difficulties and times when you aren’t sure the main character(s) will survive.)

This is the message God desired to get to Saul.

Acts 9:15-16 (CSB): “But the Lord said to him, ‘Go, for this man is my chosen instrument to take my name to Gentiles, kings, and Israelites. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.’”

On another occasion, when Satan was speaking with God about Job, Satan claimed that Job was only serving God because the Lord wasn’t allowing any suffering into his life. In Job 1, he told God that Job was only serving Him because the Lord was blessing him. Satan was convinced that if life got hard for Job, he would abandon him.

Job 1:9-11 (CSB): “Satan answered the LORD, ‘Does Job fear God for nothing? Haven’t you placed a hedge around him, his household, and everything he owns? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But stretch out your hand and strike everything he owns, and he will surely curse you to your face.'”

Friend, I guess the real question right now is “Why do we serve the Lord?” Are we serving Him and enjoying Him because He is blessing us? Would we continue to serve and enjoy Him if He allowed suffering and injustice into our lives?

Spend Time in Prayer

  • Ask God to help you accurately assess why you are following Jesus. (Will you love and obey Him even if He allows suffering to come?)

Going Deeper

If you want to dig a little deeper into suffering for following Jesus, consider reading the following GotQuestions article:

“Is suffering for Christ always going to be a part of being a follower of Christ?”

Sharing

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Matt Ellis is the pastor of White Hall Baptist Church in Richmond, Kentucky (whitehallbaptistchurch.org)