There have been days, recently, that have been discouraging. Whether it be for some emotional or physical reason in my own life or because the news of the day is troubling, those days are hard to live through.
On my own, there would be very few reasons to get up each morning. Once up, I would find little to do. It would be so much easier to just sit and read and let the world revolve around and wait until I can finally simply not get up anymore.
Luckily, those days are few. With each passing week, month and year, they are less and less. The intensity of those unhappy feelings have gone down almost to the point of not existing.
I’ve found that, when I am at my most fragile times, reading the Bible gives me solace and strength. I can’t imagine how difficult life is for those who do not have the word of God to lean on.
I’ve been a Christian since I was 18, or perhaps, since I was five years old and I first gave my heart to Jesus.
In our Bible group recently, we were asked when we had first heard of Jesus (I was four years old) and if our impression of him had changed since then.
At first, I said, of course it had changed. I was a child and now I am much older than a child. I said my initial opinion of him was formed in Sunday school and that what I knew then was that Jesus loved me because the Bible told me so and that Jesus loved all the little children of the world.
After a laugh and a moments reflection, I realized that my opinion of Jesus really hadn’t changed at all.
I still know that Jesus loves me because the Bible tells me so and that he loves all the little children of the world, no matter how old those children are. You see, to God, we are all like little children. Like little children, we go our own way and need his firm hand to guide us.
The Bible tells us that Jesus loved all of us, great and small, rich and poor, and young and old. The one thing that we all have in common is that we are all sinners in need of a savior.
Jesus’ love and sacrifice was the only way we could ever be reconciled to our Father in heaven. He was willing to pay the price for our sin. He gave up his life for us. He didn’t want to die but he knew that it was the only way and so, he willing gave himself up to an agonizing death on the cross.
When days are dark and dreary and the troubles of the world are piling high, there is only one place I can go to and only one person who will love me no matter what I say or do. He will give me comfort through the Holy Spirit and, in reading his Word, I can find reasons to live and to live joyously no matter what this world is doing to drag me down.
There is so much depressing things going on in the world. It is a time when Christians are being discriminated against more and more. There are Christians who are losing their jobs because they won’t renounce their belief in the truth of the Bible.
I read today, that a doctor in England lost his job because of just this type of situation. He was told that his belief in one verse in the Bible put him on par with Holocaust deniers and that his beliefs were like that of the neo-Nazis. All because he believed that God made male and female.
Another individual lost her job because of her belief against gay marriage. She had been quick to note that she loved gay people and, more importantly, God loved not only them but everyone equally.
Sad as it is that this is happening, it is really just the beginning. In certain countries, the persecution is horrific with people being killed. One thinks that in first world countries, this would never happen. Think again. The Bible tells us that just before the end of the age (of the church), that Christians will be persecuted to a degree never seen before.
Think about that for a minute. That means more persecution that in the days when the Romans threw Christians to the lions for a day of entertainment. They would sit in the Coliseum, in Rome, and make a long celebratory day watching people be devoured simply for the sake of their belief in Christ.
So, days worse than that are coming. For those who love Christ, we should see the season that is upon us. Like those two individuals I mentioned earlier, we will either stand by the conviction of our belief in God and take the consequences or deny him to save ourselves the persecution that will follow.
Decide today where you stand so you will be ready when that day is at hand. Do you choose to serve the God of this universe or do you choose to serve the world.
For me, there is no question. No matter the consequences in this life, I stand by the Bible, I stand with Jesus and I bow before God.
Matthew 10:26-33
“Therefore do not fear them. For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known.
Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops. And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.
Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.”