Day 5

It's day five and this time of consecration is just beginning. I am loving it though. Tonight I was reading The Heavenly Man by Brother Yun. If you have not read it, YOU NEED TO READ THIS BOOK! This book will seriously change your ideas about what being a servant of Christ is all about. This guy was tortured, beaten, imprisoned and in the midst of it led thousands of people to the Lord during of intense persecution under a communist regime. It is amazing to me that this kind of abandoned lifestyle is what the Lord calls us to when we 'take up our cross and follow Him.' In Revelation 2:10 - Jesus tell the believers in Smyrna that they will suffer persecution, but the Lord doesn't call them to avoid it, He calls them to endure it and to remain faithful unto death.

"Do not fear any of those things that you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life."

These seem like pretty harsh words from the Lord. Why would He allow us to endure such trials? Romans 5:3-4 gives us an answer.

"And not only that, but we glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope."

So somehow in the midst of suffering for the gospel, the Lord uses it to train us and to give us the hope we need to trust in Him. I know that I am not ready to face anything close to what Brother Yun went through, but I am praying that as I seek the Lord, that He would prepare me to endure such trials if the time comes. So I will continue to behold and bless the Lord, especially in the midst of suffering, because He is the one endured the cross for me and He will give me the grace to endure suffering as well when the time comes.