Day 356

December 22nd
1 Peter 2:4-5:11.  “Suffering”
“I have given them your word.  And the world hates them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not.  I’m not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one.” – Jesus (John 17:14-15)
For the first-century disciples, like Peter, suffering for the faith was a constant reality.  It did not bother Peter that Jesus neglected to pray that his followers wouldn’t have trials.  Peter had witnessed first-hand the persecution that the Lord endured.  Why should it be any different for Christ’s followers?  In fact, church tradition records Peter being crucified upside down, for he refused to die in the same manner as his Savior.
Did you notice 1 Peter 4:12-19?  To live the word is to suffer.  Christ’s life was marked by suffering, trials and persecution.  He knew what awaited His followers.  He knew the animosity of the world when confronted with the truth of the gospel.
May you come to view suffering, not as something to be avoided at all costs, but as an essential part of living the word.