Rejoicing in Persecution!

"Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 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." (Matthew 5:10-12)

These are verses I have memorized. Actually, I was memorizing the whole Sermon on the Mount, and my method was to read through it every day. It takes a long time to memorize 3 chapters that way! Previously I had already memorized the beatitudes, and since I have reviewed these verses so many times, I have thought about them a lot.

They have always bothered me, because I'd think to myself that I was not rejoicing in difficulty. But I could not understand what the verses were saying... HOW was one to rejoice in persecution? Even in asking about these verses, I never quite "got" it. I continued to feel quite sure that I did not rejoice in my trials!

Then, yesterday, when I was reviewing them for the umpteenth time, it finally clicked. The answer to "HOW?" is right there in the first line! "Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

Ah-HA!

Before these verses, there are a lot of "blessed are's" and then the reason. "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth... Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled... Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God..." Jesus listed 7 things before we get to the verses I've struggled with, all with a reason. The very fact that "rejoicing in persecution" is so fantastic an idea, had me distracted. I was thinking about the persecution. How could one rejoice in that? Isn't persecution an awful thing, full of pain?

The reason, which I was missing, is so important! The reason those that are persecuted should rejoice, is because theirs is the kingdom of heaven!

God gives (me) a direct connection here, between the persecution and REJOICING! Jesus said to "Rejoice and be exceeding glad!" Not because it hurts, but because "mine is the kingdom of God". It is the gospel! He has saved me, brought me into his kingdom, and this is why I should rejoice!

The persecution must come, but it comes as a result of this blessed and far more important truth, that God has loved me, and made me his own!

"For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God. For which cause we faint not; but through our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal." (II Corinthians 4:16-18)

Be encouraged, in whatever trial your are facing. It is not only persecution in which we can rejoice.  The fact that the Lord has loved us is so great, that the persecution/affliction/disappointment of this life is nothing in comparison. Rejoice, Christian, in what God HAS done. Do not look at your trial, but look at him!

"Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven!"