Standing Strong in Jesus Name

By Nathan Edwards

Don't you give up
Don't you quitYou keep walking
You keep trying
The Victory is ahead
and it will be alright in the end
Trust JESUS,
for he is Jehovah Jireh,
the Lord our Provider
he is El Shaddai,
the All Sufficient One
and Believe in good things to come

Never give up
Never lose hope
Always have Faith
It allows you to cope
Trying times will pass
as they always do
So put on a smile & live through your pain
Know it will pass & strength u will gain

"Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD." Psalm 27:14

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake...

Matthew 5:10 in the amplified version of the Bible says,  "Blessed and happy and enviably fortunate and spiritually prosperous (in the state in which the born-again child of God enjoys and finds satisfaction in God’s favor and salvation, regardless of his outward conditions) are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake (for being and doing right), for theirs is the kingdom of heaven!" This remarkably profound statement promises happiness, favor, spiritual maturity and closer relationship with God to those who refuse to bow down to sin. It teaches us that if we are professing with our mouths to love God, and deep within our hearts we desire to please Him, then we will be persecuted. We will be made fun of, ridiculed, rejected, put down, and belittled when we take our stand for righteousness. It shows us that when the test of persecution comes, and note that it will come, we are expected to go through it and come out victorious because we are standing for God.

In a Bible lesson at church, my Pastor used the example of the three Hebrew boys, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego to illustrate this point. These three young men refused to bow down to serve sin and as a result were thrown into the fiery furness. Even in the fire, they refused to compromise and so the heat was turned up 7 times hotter. With God's unfailing protection, they endured this test and emerged without any broken bones.

Another case comes to mind on the same point. King Darius had set a decree in place that banned the worship of Gods other than himself (since he saw himself as a God). Daniel, a faithful servant of the Lord refused to follow this law and increased the amount of times he worshipped each day. As punishment for his 'menacing' crime, Daniel was thrown into the lions den. Again, our faithful God stepped in and shielded Daniel from the hungry beasts. In the morning, the king was in awe when he saw Daniel make his way out, alive and unharmed! 

These recorded events are there to fill us with hope. Students in a classroom are tested at different times to ensure learning had taken place. In the same way, the children of God are tested to ensure that we have learned all that God intended in the season we may be facing.

My dear friend, I know you are going through a time of persecution where the very people you love are making you out to be the enemy. Embrace this season of your life because you are "Blessed and happy and enviably fortunate and spiritually prosperous (in the state in which the born-again child of God enjoys and finds satisfaction in God’s favor and salvation, regardless of his outward conditions)". Use this precious time to build your relationship with Our Father which art in Heaven. Know that this is not meant to harm you but to instill in you more of a Christ like character that will be evident to the world. As you have given yourself over to God, be strengthened and know that He will never let you go through anything alone. He is standing with you. Don't compromise. Don't carry the weight on your own. Allow Jesus to carry it for you as you exchange your burden for His. Remember, His thoughts towards you are always good and with this test, He wants you to draw even closer to Him. 

God Bless You All!