Today’s exhortation – the suffering faithful
There’s an unavoidable path a Christian must go through and it is ‘suffering’. The life studies of Job and Abraham showed us that those who are friends of God go through suffering. They both went through extensive trials, but were blessed beyond measure and all God’s promises to them were fulfilled. That said, the Christian life will definitely involve suffering because we too have become friends of God. We will suffer and be persecuted for righteousness sake, but the good news is The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their cry. The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears, And delivers them out of all their troubles. Indeed Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the LORD delivers him out of them all! (Psalms 34:15, 17, 19)
The Lord says, “I will never leave you nor forsake you, When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you. For I Am the LORD your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Saviour…” (Isaiah 43:2-4). To receive this we need faith! Why? Because faith says, even when I can’t sense Him, I know He’s with me because He who called me is faithful, who also will do it. (I Thessalonians 5:24). Amen
Francis Hans-Jorie