Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Typically blessed is not a word I would normally tie to persecution, and definitely not a word I would think when harsh words are being spoken about me. Thankfully, I don’t have to rely on what I think, or how I feel.
When I read this verse, the last line jumped out at me “for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” For myself, it brings me comfort to know that there were those before me who experienced persecution, taunting, false speech, and evil. It brings me comfort to know that they were blessed, and to read their stories of how, with God at their side, they overcame the figurative—and, at times—literal stones that were thrown at them. Having the examples of their lives offers hope that we can and we should rejoice and be glad, despite what we may be facing.
Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses,
let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us,
and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith,
who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross,
despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself,
lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.
Hebrews 12:1-3 NKJV
‘Lest you become weary and discouraged….’ The One who suffered the greatest persecution of all, the One who gave His life so we could live, offers us another example of perseverance in the face of persecution. He knows the weight that lies on our shoulders, He understands how difficult it is to rejoice, to be glad, and to not become weary or discouraged. But He also knows that we are capable of these things in these situations. Not only does He know we can do it, but He has given us the skills to do so. In these situations I (we) need to remember the examples given to us in His Word—examples of those who walked our path before us.
Let’s Pray: Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for not only offering examples of those who have walked this path before us, but thank You for living the greatest of those examples. When life begins to weigh down on us and perseverance is not something we think to practice, Your words are a page away and remind us that it can be done. I pray that we see examples of joy and gladness in our lives and in others. Just as You and the prophets of old are examples for us, that we may be examples for others. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
