Issue 2 - Day 5

2 Thessalonians 1

2 Thessalonians 1:2-5

4. So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure:
5. Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer:

Have you ever asked, why is this happening to me, am I not doing everything that God said? You think you are working your hardest to do all that God has said, and yet still everything seems to go wrong. The challenge is how do you deal with the problems?

Persecution and trials are the physical proof that you are doing it right! Satan is happy when Christians are complacent. As soon as you start to actively follow God he gets worried and you will come under attack. God allows it so we may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God. Like Job, we will suffer at times, and God is using this to help us grow, to prepare us for the role he has for us, and to bring glory to Christ. It was no miracle when Michelangelo painted amazing pictures, but if I did then it could only be by the power of God. It is only in our weakness that the strength of God is demonstrated.
In our lives we can guarantee that we will suffer. Either you have suffered, you will suffer, or you are suffering now. Will those around you comment on your patience and faith? These are fruit of the Spirit that God wants to bless us all with, and he will use trials to build these qualities in you. In times of difficulty hold on to the faith that is in you, and pray for more faith and patience to endure. God will provide.