READING: 1 Chronicles 5-6, John 15:1-16:4
I am mindful today of the reality that many in the world want nothing to do with Christianity. In fact, Jesus even predicted persecution for His followers as He warned His disciples: “If the world hates you, understand that it hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own. However, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of it, the world hates you. Remember the word I spoke to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you” (John 15:18-20).
Some will hear Jesus and keep His word, but many others will stand against Him, against His Church, and against His work. They will turn on God’s people just as they turned on Jesus. Thus, we who claim to walk in His footsteps may someday be forced to answer whether we will follow Him all the way to death.
The question for me today is whether I’m prepared and willing to pay such a price for my faith. I trust that I am, but it would be only through the empowering of the Spirit. I pray I will love Jesus so much that I would not dare do anything less than die for Him.
PRAYER: “Thank You, Lord, for the warning of coming persecution. Help me to be faithful to the end.”
DAILY ACTION STEP: In most cases, I suspect our cost of following Jesus today is not severe. Let’s pray together for believers who are indeed facing persecution and death today.
TOMORROW’S READING: 1 Chronicles 7, John 16:5-33
