God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right…
God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you
and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you
because you are my followers.
Matthew 5:10-11 (NLT)

Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through,
as if something strange were happening to you.
1 Peter 4:12 (NLT)

I’m not real happy with the author of my devotional today . Both of these passages were included today and they hit on a topic that God has been whispering in my spirit for the pat two weeks (once again I’m a slow listener). This one is hard because it is so convicting for me.

Notice in the first passage that Jesus doesn’t say “if you are persecuted”. No, He says “when” you are persecuted. And Peter seems to intimate that we shouldn’t be surprised by persecution and hardship.

So what’s so convicting? For me, it’s that I don’t feel mocked, persecuted, lied about, or slandered. Ever!

Does that mean I’m not living my Christian life like I should be? Am I not sharing the gospel as I should? What’s missing in my daily walk and life that is NOT causing these effects? That’s the question(s) God is asking me right now. I don’t like it…but I asked for it…