don't be surprised

 Hello! Welcome back to my daily blog, written on the One Year Bible reading each day. In January, I had started a Seneca reader, but my plate was too full at the time and I put it on hold. For the last few weeks I've been reading my old blog posts as TikTok videos. But I think God is calling me to start back on the One Year Bible reading each day, so that's what I'm doing starting today. Next year I plan to do the One Year Bible until March and pick up Seneca again after that. We'll see what happens. Man plans, God laughs.

Today we read from these verses in the One Year Bible:

Leviticus 24:1-25:46
Mark 10:13-31
Psalm 44:9-26
Proverbs 10:20-21 

rLooking at the passage from Mark, we see several things worth considering: becoming like children to enter the kingdom, that it's hard (practically impossible!) for the rich to enter the kingdom (but with God nothing is impossible), and that those who give up everything to follow Jesus will receive much in return.

But when we look at that sentence closely, we see a very important phrase right in the middle. Jesus almost slips it in. He says, "If you give up everything and follow me, you will receive a hundred times as much in this life, and eternal life after that." But right after saying "a hundred times as much", He mentions "with persecutions."

That's what we Christians need to realize and keep in mind. Yes, God will bless us. Yes, He wants us to rejoice and be glad in this life. But we need to always remember that this isn't our permanent home. The world is going to hate us - just like it hated Him first. And it's going to persecute us. So, like Jesus said, "Don't be surprised when the world hates you. In this world, you will have troubles. But take heart. I have overcome the world."

So on one hand - rejoice! God loves you and is blessing you every day. And He will bring you to eternal life when you die (if you have a relationship with Him. If not - ask Him to show you how.) But keep in mind, don't forget, that in this world we will have troubles. And Jesus has overcome both those troubles and the world.

God, thanks for reminding us that this world will hate us and persecute us - but You win in the end.