“We ought to obey God rather than men.” -Acts 5:29
“So they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name.” – Acts 5:41
Whenever you choose to seek real wisdom which begins with the fear of the Lord (Proverbs 9:10), there will always be disagreement between you and the world.
The apostles in Acts experienced this kind of disagreement as they spread the Gospel throughout Jerusalem. They were met with strict orders from the Sanhedrin — the Jewish High Court — to stop teaching in the name of Jesus.
In an effort to scare the apostles into silence, the Sanhedrin beat them and commanded them to stop teaching in the name of Jesus. The apostles did not respond in sadness or anger. Rather, they rejoiced!
They rejoiced because they recognized that it was an honor to suffer in the name of Jesus. The apostles knew that serving God as their master was a privilege that they did not deserve, but Christ made it possible for them. Therefore, they had no cause for despair in the face of persecution, only joy for the fact that God saw them fit to suffer in His name.
Brethren, I admonish you to recognize it is a great privilege to serve God. Persecution is a difficult pill to swallow but it is nothing compared to eternity. Let us rejoice that God has chosen us to endure whatever may come for His name’s sake because it truly is an honor to serve Him.
“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (Matthew 5:11-12)
PRAYER: Lord, thank You for the privilege of being your child. I pray that you would help me to be like the apostles in the face of persecution. Help me to recognize the privilege I have as your son/daughter and rejoice that you have deemed me worthy to serve you in this way, in Jesus’ name.