Persecute: "to treat (someone) cruelly or unfairly especially because of race or religious or political beliefs (Merriam-Webster online)."
Persecution has become a “churchy” word. We know what it means, and we hear the stories … but I am not convinced that we truly grasp the pain, rejection, and difficulty that a believer in a highly persecuted area will likely experience as a result of their faith.
Yes, persecution may at times lead to arrest or physical harm, but I think it takes a more subtle form often times. One that you may not notice unless you were deep within the culture.
Persecution is …
But there is another side to persecution that I want you to consider. Persecution is …
We shudder when we hear the word … persecution. Even now, it hits my own heart very deeply. We weep when we see the photos or hear the stories. But we can trust that God is still at work even amidst persecution.
We all long for the day when all believers can rejoice together in harmony, but we know that day will only come in Heaven.
So today, let’s rejoice that people are turning to Jesus for eternity—even under terrible conditions, and maybe, because of them. Let’s rejoice that the Holy Spirit is moving so vastly that Satan will do anything to squelch His power. Let’s rejoice that our God has already declared the victory!