The Beatitudes: Language Lab—what Is “persecution”?

The Beatitudes: Language Lab—What Is “Persecution”?

Bible Blast: Read Matthew 5:10-12

God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs. Matthew 5:10

A few years ago, a young girl was invited to make a piece of a quilt that was to hang in her public school. She made a picture of the cross on her square because she loves Jesus. The next day when the quilt was displayed, her square was missing. The teachers and some parents didn’t want a symbol of Jesus up in the school. The little girl and her family decided they were going to stand up for her right to display her art. The attacks became very vicious, and some Christian lawyers had to come in to defend the little girl and her family. The little girl was being “persecuted.”

Persecution is when someone stands up for what is right, and another person makes fun of her or even hurts her for that decision. A lot of Christians are persecuted for their faith. If you are ever teased for being a Christian, pray for the stamina and comfort of the persecuted believer but don’t be all bummed out. We’re actually told to be happy because God will reward us for it. When we’re persecuted for our faith in him, that means we have chosen righteousness instead of being accepted or “cool.”

Jesus warned the disciples in John 15 that persecution would come. He said, “Since they persecuted me, naturally they will persecute you.” Maybe that didn’t scare the disciples too much until they watched Jesus dying on the cross. They must have realized then that their lives could be at risk for standing up in their faith in God. And eventually many of them did pay for their faith with their lives. Believe it or not, Christians all over the world are being persecuted and killed even today in Morocco, Iraq, Laos, Iran, Nigeria, Myanmar, Algeria, Malaysia, Indonesia, Azerbaijan, China, Pakistan, Somalia, and many other nations.

Pray for believers in parts of the world where there is no freedom to worship God. And pray that we will keep the freedom to worship him freely in the United States.

Girl Gab: Take time now to pray for at least one of the countries I listed in the devo where Christians aren’t free to worship. Pray that the believers will remain strong in their faith and that they will not be afraid.