Suffering for the Sake of Christ? You’re in Good Company
Christ believed in suffering as the will of God. He found in Scripture that the servant of God would suffer. He made himself familiar with the thought, so that when suffering came, it did not take him by surprise. When it came, his first thought was not how to be delivered from it but how to glorify God in it. This enabled him to bear the greatest injustice quietly. He saw God’s hand in it.
—Andrew Murray
David in prison. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in Nebuchadnezzar’s furnace. Daniel in King Darius’s lion den. Jesus before Pilate. Paul and Silas in chains for the Gospel. John in exile on Patmos. Example after example of God showing up in and through the suffering of his saints—how can it take us by surprise when we are mistreated for Christ’s sake? Knowing that God is present and that our suffering can be utilized in His bigger picture should bring a measure of comfort in bearing the injustice. As Jesus said, “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you” (Matthew 5:12). —DH
—David Hoskins, Founder & Care Guide, Sanctuary Clinics