Devotional: Worthy to Suffer

Acts 5:40-42

‘“You will be hated by all because of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved’” (Matt. 10:22, NASB).

“Ministry is hard,” our instructor for our Supervised Ministry Experience at the seminary told us. I remember that at that time I was thinking about the long hours that I would have to put in preparing and performing each day to accomplish my goals. When I graduated and I begin to do ministry in my church I discovered that ministry is hard because of difficult members in the church. I’m talking about those who refuse to cooperate and set roadblocks in your path. Jesus tells His disciples that people will hate them because they hated Him. They are given the Holy Spirit to enable and empower them to do the work.

In Acts 5 Peter and Peter and the apostles are put in jail for preaching the resurrection of the dead through Jesus of Nazareth; the Christ. The Council “flogs them and orders them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and then they release them. Peter and the apostles continue their ministry of preaching and teaching the good news about Jesus. They rejoiced because “they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for His name” (v. 41).

Prayer: Lord, there are times when we find it difficult to endure the suffering that comes along with telling others about you. Yet, we are thankful that you count us worthy to suffer as you suffered. Amen.