“10Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.” — Revelation 2:10 (ESV)
I know that I will experience challenges and persecution as a follower of Christ. I will be tested in my faith, not by God, but by the evil one. I will have every opportunity to give up and submit to the difficulty and abandon God. It is easy to give up. It is easy to give in. It is easy to just allow myself to become and be the victim. Every day I will be tested, and every day I will have that chance to throw in the towel and allow myself to be beaten.
But, I must remain faithful to Him. I have established that He is faithful and will remain so. He knows I will be tested, and yet, He will be right there with me and never leave. And here in this passage, I see that for my faithful obedience, he will reward me with “the crown of life”. God will make sure that my suffering is not in vain. He will ensure that I receive for what I give. God will be there through all that goes on in my life and I must remain faithful to Him as He is faithful to me.
And just how to remain faithful. Well, there is first of all, remaining in His Word. I have to remember to no give up on studying and learning just what it is that God has for me in this world. I have to look for it and work to understand, knowing that the understanding may not be revealed until I am rewarded in heaven. I have to, as Jared our pastor says, “go where He would me go, and do what He would have me do”. When I am working with God, I am faithful to God and in turn, I will realize His faithfulness to and with me.
I will be challenged and I will suffer for my relationship with God, but my suffering is not the end, but only the beginning or middle of my role to spread the gospel. God is with me always and even in my suffering He is faithful to me, I owe it to Him to return His faithfulness.
What suffering are you experiencing in life? Are you turning to God and realizing His faithfulness to you? What if you did?
Trevor's Thoughts 