In case you missed it, here’s the story of the world’s opposition to men and women of God:

 Man hears story of Jesus and believes it.  He repents of his sin, and gives his life to the care of the Father.  The system that governs the world takes notice that he has rejected its value system and begins to jeer him. 

“So, now you’re worshipping the big spook in the sky?  Ooooh, that’s scary!” 

“I guess you think you’re better than us now.”

“You narrow-minded fundamentalist!”

Nobody likes to be called names, but the man takes it for his share and goes on.

Before too long, it (the world) realizes that its efforts to dissuade the young believer are coming to naught, so it begins to make life a little more difficult by putting physical obstacles in his way.  Mild opposition, slander, discrimination at work or school.  Maybe the opposition targets the believer’s kids. 

Still, he remains firmly resolved to follow what he now knows about God.

The persecution intensifies, but the man refuses to return to seeing life the same way he saw it before.  Now that he knows about Jesus and the promises he has made to him, he could never go back.  Not ever!  But the world sees his resilience as rebellion and defiance, a personal attack on it and everything it considers to be important, so it intensifies even more its attempts to get him to change his mind. 

Ironically, he isn’t a threat to them.  At least he isn’t a threat in the sense that he never once demands that the world drop what it’s doing and follow his Savior.  Yes, he appeals and pleads, but he never attempts to coerce.  He is now a man loved by the father, and he is trying with all his being to love his fellow man in the same way – without hesitation or precondition. 

Still, the world system really turns up the heat, because it knows that if he is successful, the world system will be destroyed.  In fact, the world knows that the final solution for the system is destruction.  No one could deny that.  Everyone knows that everyone dies.  Everyone knows that nothing lasts forever.  Stupidly, but sadly, it hangs on until its dying breath. But it sweeps the reality of its own mortality under the rug and continues to act as if it is the only thing that matters – the only thing that means anything.

You would think that it would be a welcome relief to know that the futility of this life has been exposed and that life with true purpose and meaning had replaced what once stood as the only way to live.  But that is not the case.  The man’s faith has been perceived as a threat to the meaningless and it is rising up to defeat that threat. 

The man?  He continues to love.  He knows, however, that ultimately this strengthening and growing assault will probably consume his physical being – he will die for what he believes.  In spite of it on, he goes on.

But it’s not easy.  Almost every waking moment is spent in prayer pleading with his father in heaven to lessen the pain.  He worries what will happen to his wife and children.  Then there are those brothers and sisters that he has allied himself with.  What about them?

He reads in the Bible about Daniel closing the mouths of the lions and Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego enduring the flames without so much as a singed hair. And he wonders, sometimes aloud in prayer, why God won’t deliver him too.  And he’s heard others share about God’s healing grace, how he cured them of cancer or delivered them from financial ruin, and he thinks to himself, “I don’t want any of that; I just want to stay alive.  I’m just trying to keep my family safe – away from the firing squad.  Why won’t God help me?  Why won’t you deliver me, God?”

And to be honest with you, it’s a good question.  Maybe you’re one of the fortunate ones who’ve never questioned where, or even if, God is leading you.  Even though you never thought it could happen to you, your spouse leaves you for someone else.  A child announces that he is “gay,” or a daughter dies after overdosing on drugs.  Your company fires you or you lose all of your worldly possessions in a flood.  And all the while, you pray to God.  But God doesn’t seem to answer.  Nothing changes, unless you call things getting worse “change.” 

Is there any comfort for my suffering friend? 

More on that later.