Obeying God’s Will Won’t Always Be Easy
After many days had gone by, there was a conspiracy among the Jews to kill him, but Saul learned of their plan. Day and night they kept close watch on the city gates in order to kill him. But his followers took him and lowered him in a basket through an opening in the wall.
Acts 9: 23-25, NIV
Saul, also known as Paul, was not a stranger to persecution. When he started to preach the gospel, he slowly experienced the things that he used to do to the early Christians. He was once the persecutor, but now he was persecuted. Following Jesus wasn’t easy for him. He went through the narrow road and carried his cross. He chose to die from his selfish desires and allow God to reign in his life. He received threats, yet he never stopped from preaching the good news.
In one instance, he was hiding inside a large basket just to escape. It was a life full of challenges and obstacles. But Paul didn’t focus on the bad things that happened to him. Instead, he chose to persevere because knowing Jesus was greater than the pain that he experienced.
Sometimes, we have this mindset that when we follow Jesus, we will have a comfortable and easy life. This perspective leads people to blame God every time they experience difficulties and trials. They believed that if God was with them, there would be no troubles. But that was not what Paul experienced. In fact, he went through so much suffering because He chose to follow Jesus.
Doing the works of God doesn’t guarantee us a comfortable life. But the good news is, the more we follow Him, the more we get to know Him. And when we know Jesus, that’s when our lives will start to change. Obeying His will won’t be easy. There will be days when we will encounter pain and heartaches. But just like Paul, we can trust in the protection that God provides. He will send people who will help us. He will give us the grace to move forward, ensuring that we are never alone in our journey.
So, let’s continue to serve God even if it’s difficult. At the end of the day, the joy of knowing Jesus is greater than the pain and suffering we will experience here on earth. Everything will be worth it. That’s why, let’s run this race with courage and faith, knowing that Jesus will be there despite the troubles and difficulties.
Prayer: Father God, thank you for giving us the chance to serve and follow you. Thank you for teaching us to persevere despite the problems that we face. We pray for more of your love, Lord. We may never forget your words and your plans. Give us a heart that’s willing to offer our lives just for your Name to be glorified. Reign in our lives, Lord. Come and let your glory shine. In Jesus’ Name, we pray, amen.
