In radically following Christ as He calls you and me to do so, there is never promised a life of comfort, approval by the world, or logevity of life. Rather, what is gonna happen is that you'll be faced with a life of persecution, hatred by the world and even death before we would ideally like or hope so. So, when you and I have our moment of persecution, should we follow Christ to such a moment, we will have two natural reactions towards those who and Christ through us...

1) Fight

"...Then they came up and laid hands on Jesus and seized him. And behold, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear." (Matthew 26:50-51, ESV)

2) Flight

"...Then they came up and laid hands on Jesus and seized him...Then all the disciples left him and fled." (Matthew 26:50 & 56, ESV)

Both of these reactions are a reflection of something far deeper than just our humanly natural reaction. These reactions are the fruit of the seeds of distrust in Christ's appealing before the Father as we follow Him, His sovereign purposes' fulfillment and ultimate promise of the resurrection of the dead beyond this present life. You're probably asking me, "Whoa there buddy! Where you getting this?"

Just look @ Jesus' rebuke at the man who drew his sword to try and fight for Him!

"Then Jesus said to him, 'Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword. Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?'" (Matthew 26:52-54, ESV)

When you and I should ever be so blessed as to suffer for Christ's sake and for His gospel, our natural reaction would, understandably so, be to want nothing more than to fight back and let them have it or to get outta sight and run. But! When we face such persecution and such suffering in our following Christ, let our natural reaction to them be be the evidence of a life transformed by the renewal of the mind according to God's Word. Let our natural reaction to persecution and suffering be like the One Who we are following. Let us trustingly cling on that...

1) Jesus is before the throne of God this very moment making appeals for His people in persecution and suffering:

"...Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us." (Romans 8:34, ESV)

2) God is sovereign over all and any suffering we go through in following Christ:

"I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world." (John 16:33, ESV)

3) Our suffering testifies to the world that this life is not all there is and that Christ is of greatest worth:

"If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied." (1 Corinthians 15:19, ESV)

So What?

Christ suffered and died so that He would be raised to life again by the power of the God's Holy Spirit so that the sin that God is so displeased with and hates would lose its' sting and so that death would no longer have the last laugh in the end which is to come. Our suffering and even death for Christ's sake and for the sake of His good news of a message, may we humbly suffer joyfully and cling on to Christ's words...

"Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you." (Matthew 5:10-12, ESV)

It's Been a While

"Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life;
you stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies,
and your right hand delivers me.
The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me;
your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever.
Do not forsake the work of your hands." (Psalm 138:7-8, ESV)

This psalm gives me great comfort for all that life's circumstances bring under God's sovereignty. Essentially what David said was that the troubled waters of life and wrath-pouring enemies can only do so much as far as God sees fit.

Let's not take forgranted the simple glories of what is tucked in here. Because we are promised, "the Lord will fulfill his purpose for me," you and I can confidentlty plead with the Lord, "Do not forsake the work of your hands," knowing that He answers the prayers of those that are in line with His good and perfect and pleasing will, as He reveals it from His Word.