Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

– Matthew 5:12

Thoughts on Today’s Verse…

This verse is full of the Lord’s intention and His promise to those who follow Him. From the saints of times past to the Christians of today, they have experienced persecution. There’s one thing we should know: Those believers who suffer discrimination, abuse, ridicule, even the arrest, persecution and the hardship of life are blessed. We shouldn’t aggrieve by suffering persecution and even less should we doubt God’s way and His work because of persecution. Instead, we should rejoice and be exceedingly glad, because the persecution we suffer is more proof that ours is the true God and what we hold onto is the true way. Just as God’s words say, “Among you, there is not one man who receives the protection of the law; rather, you are penalized by the law, and the greater difficulty is that no man understands you, be it your relatives, your parents, your friends, or your colleagues. None understand you. When God rejects you, there is no way for you to continue living on earth. However, even so, people cannot bear to leave God; this is the significance of God’s conquest of people, and this is God’s glory.”“This is just as in the stage of Jesus’ work; He could only be glorified among those Pharisees who persecuted Him. If not for such persecution and the betrayal of Judas, Jesus would not have been ridiculed or slandered, much less crucified, and thus could never have gained glory.” God’s words tell us that His wisdom is based on Satan’s schemes. Outwardly, the Lord Jesus was subjected to great persecution and tribulation, but which had completed God’s plan of all mankind’s redemption. He was nailed to the cross and had redeemed us sinners. Nowadays, we also obtain the actual gains in persecution and tribulation. Our faith in God has increased, our wills to satisfy God and stand witness for Him are now more resolute. Therefore, it is great significance when God creates environments of persecution and tribulation to temper and perfect us. This is something that every Christian should understand.