“Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects…” -1 Corinthians 13:6-7 (NIV)

Every day there is a Christian somewhere in the world undergoing persecution or hardship for their stand in Christ. Living in countries where corruption and tyranny are rampant, they must endure unspeakable torment and everyday is a fight against injustice and oppression. Some of their cases are reported by the mainstream media, but countless others are never brought into the light. However, there are organizations which fight to make sure that the stories and voices of these persecuted Christians are not silenced by the iron fist of their governments. Out of their love for the truth of Christ, and for those who stand up for it, these organizations risk much to bring awareness to the plight of the persecuted church. They assure them through tangible action that they have a voice and are supported by those who are praying for them and care about defending their right to exist and follow Jesus.

By the definition Paul gives in 1 Corinthians 13:6-7, love is not some passive feeling that keeps silent when trouble is brewing. Rather it will get itself involved and take the side of truth. When we have allowed Christ to enter our hearts and seek to know Him, He will give us a love for Him, which will then lead us to love His truth and to love those who speak His truth. What are we doing to defend our brothers and sisters when they encounter opposition for their stand in Christ? Do we remain silent, content with preserving our own reputation in the eyes of the crowd? Or will we join our voices with those who will do anything to speak life into the lives of others. Granted, it can be a hard decision at times for our instinctive human reaction is to lean toward the former. But when we lean on Christ and allow Him to strengthen us, He will give us the confidence to speak the truth in love so that we may be an encouragement and blessing not only to those who are thirsty to hear, but to those who are working towards the same goal as well.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

“I do not hide your righteousness in my heart; I speak of your faithfulness and your saving help. I do not conceal your love and your faithfulness from the great assembly.” –Psalm 40:10 (NIV)

Does a volcano ever hold back when it erupts? We would be hard-pressed to convince ourselves that it does. I have seen footage of major volcanic eruptions and I do not believe it to be a stretch to say that volcanoes are not of the self-conscious sort. On the contrary, a volcano is not afraid to allow the magma it has stored beneath its rocky surface to be expelled into the sky and into the surrounding area. It does not say to itself that perhaps it should hold back a little and practice some self-control. Rather, it allows its lava to overflow from within and to freely pour itself over the landscape. Granted a volcanic eruption is devastating and never pleasant. But there is much to learn from its boldness.

We as humans are so unlike volcanoes. Too often we keep things to ourselves and shy away from expressing what God has done and is doing in our lives. Perhaps we fear of becoming an eyesore to others if we show His love and tell of his righteousness, and thus we resign ourselves to going with the crowd; making sure that no one knows of the work which Christ is doing within us. But when we do this, we deprive ourselves of the chance to grow in our faith and see God at work in the lives of others. When we have allowed Christ to enter our hearts and seek to abide with Him, He will cause His love and righteousness to overflow from within us. As Paul wrote to Timothy in 2 Timothy 1:7 “…God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love…”  His Spirit will embolden us to show His love to others, tell them of His righteousness with our lives, and speak of His faithfulness to us. Unlike a volcano, the overflow that will come from within us when we allow Christ’s Spirit to carry out His work will not destroy. Instead, it will only bring healing and life to all as He is made manifest in our words and actions.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

“The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.” –Exodus 15:2 (NIV)

I once remember coming across an interesting account of a group of Christians in ancient Rome. Persecuted for their faith in Christ they were in chains and were being led to the coliseum to be ripped apart by wild animals. But what struck the people observing this procession was that the Christians were singing and celebrating! Where there would normally be weeping and mourning, there was joy and a confident expectation of a glorious hope. The sight struck people both as odd and as admirable that these children of Christ would have such boldness in the face of death. It has been proven that part of the reason that Christianity spread throughout the Roman Empire was the witness of these Christians under persecution; causing many to seek to learn more about Christ and accept Him as Lord.

How often do we have the same attitude in the face of suffering? When confronted by adverse circumstances, the song in our hearts is usually one of despair rather than hope and joy. Feeling crushed under the weight of our trials we feel helpless and weak. Such feelings then give way to hopelessness and we succumb to a defeatist attitude which tells us that victory will forever elude us. However there is hope in the Lord of the Universe; who stand omnipotent over all. When we have allowed Christ to enter our hearts and work in our lives, he will strengthen us by His Spirit. In leaning on Him and allowing ourselves to be rooted in His Word, we will find that strength and boldness which only comes from knowing that He works all things together for His perfect plan for us. Resting in Him we will be able to sing boldly, even in the direst of circumstances, for as Romans 8:37 says, “…we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” Christ has overcome sin and death through His own death and resurrection. As His children who have become like Him in His death and resurrection, we have a strength derived from the eternal hope of being made one with Him.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

“That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” -2 Corinthians 12:10 (NIV)

Why is it so painful to feel weak? Our pride does not want to admit to or show any signs of weakness. The reason for this is that our pride wants to convince others that we are great and deserving of admiration and respect. But when situations break the illusion that our pride has created of ourselves and our abilities, we feel useless and helpless. It does not help that our culture has in general subconsciously adopted the attitude of survival of the fittest, where the strong survive and the weak are cast aside. When we find ourselves in that position of weakness it is easy to fall into despair; asking if there is any way to regain our shattered worth and dignity.

The wonderful promise is Christ is able to make us strong through our weaknesses. He is in the business of restoration and He wants to bring us life through Him so that we may thrive. Nothing is impossible for God and He is able to use our sorrows and failures to make us strong and display His faithfulness and love. When we have allowed Christ to enter our hearts and seek to be empowered by His Spirit residing within us, He will give us strength to face and overcome the struggles we face. In Him we have an intrinsic worth knowing that He has created us in His image and are adopted into His family when we choose to be renewed by Him.  Thus as His precious children we can rest in the fact that He will always come alongside us and lift us up despite our hardships when we call upon Him. Knowing that the loving hand of God is always there to support us, we will have a strength that will remain firm in the midst of adversity and pain. We can take hope in the assurance that while we may stumble and feel weak, Christ will always pick us up and use our sufferings to fulfil His perfect plan for our lives.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.” –James 1:2-3 (NIV)

Military training is notorious for its discipline and toughness. Training montages from movies depicting army life provide a glimpse into the ordeals that civilian recruits have to undergo in order to become soldiers. The harsh endurance tests, the hazardous live-fire exercises, and the arduous treks through rugged terrain carrying packs weighted by equipment and supplies, are enough to scare away civilians from joining the military and understandably so. But all these things are meant to prepare soldiers for the realities of the battlefield. The strength and experience gained from training will not only help the solider to survive on the frontlines, but make him capable of defending his country. Thus, gruelling as training might be, the soldier endures it in the knowledge that doing so makes him stronger.

How often do we complain about our circumstances? Too often we look at our pain and misery and descend into despair. We allow ourselves to become slaves to our situations and become weak under the weight of hopelessness. However, we fail to realize that our trials are opportunities to build up our strength and faith in God. When we have allowed Christ to enter our hearts and have allowed Him to guide our steps, we will understand that our challenges will never be able to overtake us. Through Christ who has overcome all things, we are able to claim that same victory knowing that He is able to use our sufferings for His glory. Surrendering ourselves to Him and allowing Him to work in our lives, we will be able to see His faithfulness and love in our situations so that our faith in Him will be strengthened. The despair we face today will not last and when we remain in Christ and seek His face, we will be empowered in our faith by His Spirit so that we may find an unshakable strength in Him who works to build us up.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

“But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed…” –2 Timothy 4:17 (NIV)

There is something about being in community with one another that is invigorating. Knowing that we can count on the support of family and friends gives us that boost to continue on with our goals and ambitions regardless of what may come our way. Even if we are beaten down by the storms we face, we are able to get up by the help of those who love us. But as mortal and finite human beings, we cannot always rely on the support of others. There will come times when we are completely alone in our struggles. Friends we thought we could rely on can easily become enemies, or can drift away from us with the natural passage of time. Perhaps we may find ourselves far away from the warmth of family, or maybe it has already become a distant memory. In these times of loneliness and despair, who do we turn to for strength?

Paul knew what it was like to endure persecution alone. There were moments when Paul had to bear the brunt of his enemies’ ire with little or no support from anyone else. But what gave Paul strength was not the support of fallible humans, but the fact that God was beside Him in the midst of his suffering. It was because Paul was so firmly rooted in Christ that he was boldly able to proclaim His message of restoration and hope despite the opposition he faced. Likewise, when we have allowed Christ to enter our hearts and seek to abide in Him, He will strengthen us by His Spirit to carry out the task He has called us to do. No matter the challenges or antagonism we might face, we can rest knowing that in Christ we have an eternal source of strength which can never be taken away from us, and that we have hope in the One who is unstoppable and always victorious.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

“David said to the Philistine, ‘You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.’” -1 Samuel 17:45 (NIV)

Where did David get the courage and strength to speak boldly before Goliath? Certainly it did not come from his physical stature and military prowess. David paled in comparison to Goliath in this regard, for the Philistine could not only boast of unrivalled brute strength, but he was armed to the teeth as well.  Neither did David find his strength in the support of his own Israelite comrades. Initially King Saul was hesitant to send the young David against the battle-hardened Goliath and certainly the soldiers of the Israelite army would not have had a high opinion of the shepherd boy armed with only a sling. But David found his strength in the arms of God. Who was it that gave Goliath breath? Who was it who created the materials to make Goliath’s swords, spears, and javelins? Was it not the Lord of the universe who holds all things together? Armed with the confidence that the same God defends those who seek to honour Him, David stood boldly before Goliath and was able to defeat him for all to see that it was God who gave David strength to face his enemy and fight.

Sometimes we encounter situations which make us quake in fear. Comparing our perceived weakness to the enormity of our circumstances, we are quick to say that it is hopeless and that victory is destined to elude us. We ask ourselves how we, insignificant and weak as we are, could emerge triumphant over the gargantuan challenges we face. However, though in our strength the task we are called to accomplish seems impossible, nothing is impossible with God. If we rely solely on our strength or on the support of others, we will slowly succumb to discouragement and defeatism when struggles come along our path and our earthly sources of strength evaporate. But when we find our strength in Christ we can stand firm knowing that He fights on our behalf and empowers us so that his perfect will may be fulfilled in our lives. Like David, when we have entered into a relationship with God by allowing Christ’s Spirit to enter our hearts, we can find confidence in the fact that God is our strength and that He will enable us to do what He has called us to do. Entrusting ourselves to Him we will have courage to face our situations with boldness and an unmovable strength which comes from knowing that the battle belongs to the Lord who is Ruler over all.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.