by Matthew 5:11-12 “Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.”
I was so encouraged by these verses this morning. Why? These are verses many of us have read many times before and heard preaching on many times before. But God’s Word is like that. We can read it our whole lives and then one day – a verse just comes alive when we need it most. I guess these verses encouraged me in a great way today because…let me further explain and…
…maybe it will be a great encouragement for someone else today.
WHY?
We’ve all asked that at some time or another about the things God allows to happen in our lives.
Why? For certain health issues.
Why? For financial difficulties.
Why? For family issues. Etc. Etc.
Some of us may have even asked the question about other Christians speaking illfully wrong about us. Gossip and rumors and outright verbal fights are quite harmful.
James 3:8 “But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.”
In my personal life, I’ve been through way more than the normal share of evil speakings against me and my family. But we know God is in control. Still at times, I question why God hasn’t eradicated the harmful people. If anything, they have multiplied.
Why does God allow people/Christians to go around and slander and hurt one another? The above verse really hit home today, and I must say, “I had a good laugh.” I didn’t laugh at God. I laughed at the ones who think they are hurting me. “Yes, in our human bodies, they are hurting us. But this earthly body will not live forever. In a vapor’s time, this body will be gone.”
“Why is God allowing this? Why is He allowing others to hurt us so badly?”
Here’s the answer.
You ready?
So, we who are hurt by others, especially other Christians, can have the last laugh.
“What may you say? How can I have the last laugh?”
“Yes, we will have the last laugh.” God says, “for great is your reward in heaven.” “when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.”
Let me rephrase it simply. “When others hurt us, we are gaining rewards in heaven.”
Okay, it has taken me 20 years to get there. Prayerfully some of you reading this won’t take 20 years to get to the point that you can laugh at persecution.
Now, with a laugh and with God’s help, I can re-read the above verses and say in my heart. “Okay, so-and-so (I won’t name the wrong doers), bring it on. You are building my rewards in heaven.”
Now I know why God doesn’t eliminate our persecutors. He is leaving them here to continue living in sin, being disobedient to His Word and hindering the cause of Christ. They will lose their rewards, and that is Biblical. Of course, God is also hoping they will get their life right with Him but that is another story. However, while they are living in sin, they are helping me to gain great heavenly rewards. Praise the Lord!
So, who will have the last laugh? Me! Let’s imagine this scene for just a moment.
I get to heaven and God shows me a pile of great rewards because someone was evil against me in this earthly world. Then the evil doer looks for their pile of rewards and there isn’t one.
They’ve lost their rewards for their sinful acts against me. Hallelujah! Who will have the last laugh? Me! “for great is your reward in heaven.”
So now I will say to those who continue to persecute and revile me for Christ sake, “Bring it on! Soon my earthly body will be gone and because of all your evil against me, I will have “great rewards.”
Now, I must also ask, “Dear Lord, continue to give me the strength and boldness to fight this spiritual battle. I can’t do this alone.”
Eph. 6:12 “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”
Acts 4:29 “And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word,”
II Timothy 4:7 “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:”
So, in the end I can hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant…” Mat. 25:23
Prayerfully this helped someone else who may be going through persecution for the Lord’s sake. Let’em bring it on! With the Lord’s help – you can persevere until the end. Keep in mind they are helping you to build ‘great rewards’ to enjoy for all eternity.
