Daily devotion – a comfortable Christianity?
2 Corinthians 1:8 We think you ought to know, dear brothers and sisters, about the trouble we went through in the province of Asia. We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and we thought we would never live through it. 9 In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead. 10 And he did rescue us from mortal danger, and he will rescue us again. We have placed our confidence in him, and he will continue to rescue us. 11 And you are helping us by praying for us. Then many people will give thanks because God has graciously answered so many prayers for our safety.
As I read the Bible each day and study it in detail, I am more and more convinced that there is no such thing as a ‘comfortable Christianity’.
In Daniel chapter 9, Daniel is between 85 and 90 years of age. He has endured capture as a young teenage boy, transportation away from Israel to Babylon, endured conflict, jealousy, the lion’s den and two kingdoms of which he was subject.
Here he receives this amazing vision concerning the nation Israel after being in Babylon some 67 years and it is overwhelming to him.
The Apostle Paul tells us that he himself was crushed, overwhelmed beyond his ability to endure, thought he was going to die, and lived in constant mortal danger.
As I look at the western Church, including myself, I must ask, “What am I enduring…what is overwhelming me as I walk before Christ in Australia today?”
Paul wrote, 2Ti 3:12 Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.
I believe the days are not far from us that name the name of Jesus when we too in Australia will understand the words and lives of both Daniel and Paul practically in our own lives.
Let us now prepare our hearts to be ready to stand, to witness, to testify and if need be to suffer for our Lord’s sake as the times of the end approach.