Acts 9:3-4
3 Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. 4 And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?”
It has to be unbelievably hard to be persecuted. We’ve all felt the pain of being an outsider; some of us may have even been beat up or physically bullied. But if we become followers of Jesus, persecution will come. Stories like this one from the Bible prepare us for those horrible occasions.
Saul had been persecuting the Christians, having just overseen the first killing of one of Christ’s followers. Then Jesus meets him on the road and says, “why are you persecuting me?” Saul killed Stephen, not Jesus. But Jesus is so closely united to His church that He feels our pain as His own. He sees your tears, understands your fears and has promised to make all things right. Continue despite persecution knowing who stands with you.
Prayer prompt: Lord, give me courage as I think about how You stand with me.