Daily Scripture
“Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: “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 are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
Matthew 5:1-10
Daily Devotion
If we were to read the first half only of verse 10 (“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake”), it can come off as both counterintuitive as well as even a bit disheartening. I say this because I don’t know about you, but I surely don’t wake up each morning hoping to be persecuted that day. But if you truly are a follower of Jesus, you most likely will face some type of persecution at some point.
Thankfully though, it doesn’t end there. There is an additional part to verse 10, (“for theirs is the kingdom of heaven”) and this second part gives us hope, gives us drive, and gives us a “WHY” to carry on when we do face persecution and opposition.
So although we may not sign up for a daily dose of persecution or enjoy it when we are facing it, we can take heart by knowing it’s a good thing. We know this because we are a chosen people, a called people who are set apart to live differently than the world around us.
As the Apostle Paul says in Romans 12:2 (ESV), “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
Please know that if we live out what both Jesus stated in Matthew 10 and what the Apostle Paul stated in Romans 12, persecution is going to be inevitable and certainly not just something that happens in “other parts of the world” where Christianity is banned. Although most of the audience for this devotional will not likely face physical persecution, many other forms of persecution are taking place in our country each day.
For true followers, persecution can occur at school, work, with friends, with family, as well as many other areas of life and comes in many forms such as being picked on, being singled out, being left out, being passed up for a promotion or opportunity at work, along with a host of other forms.
So in order to remain positive and stay focused, when I read this verse I like to approach it as I approach other areas of life by “beginning with the end in mind”. Meaning that I know as a true follower of Jesus I can look to Him for encouragement, protection, guidance, discernment, strength, and peace during moments of persecution I face and I will encourage you to do the same.
So in closing, remember to begin each day and each situation with the end in mind, stay focused, stay positive, stay humble, and stay on track with Him because you never know who you could be making a positive impact on, but rest assured it will all be WELL worth it in the end!
Dylan Owens