[Jesus speaking]
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

--Parallel verses:
‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭31‬:‭6‬
Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.‭‭

Joshua‬ ‭1‬:‭8‬-‭9‬
Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭6‬:‭10‬-‭11‬
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.

We are not persecuted for righteousness if we are standing on the sidelines. We must be in the game. We must be striving everyday to know the heart of God and act on its principles.

Jesus is telling us to rejoice when we are persecuted. How is this something that even makes any sense? I really don’t like being accused of things I did not do, or being mistreated for my beliefs. Yet, here in the Bible I am told to “Rejoice and be Glad” about it?

In what context am I supposed to understand this passage? The only way I can understand it, is to understand the reference to the prophets. The prophets were persecuted for preaching God‘s Word, as well. And many of them were faithful to their very deaths. How could they rejoice and be glad when treated in such horrible ways? It is only a gift of God that allowed them to do it.

When we search after God, with all our hearts, we gain his perspective on life. With this perspective, we understand that this world is just a temporary training ground. Our future home is in heaven. “But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.” (‭‭Philippians‬ ‭3‬:‭20‬-‭21‬)

This transformation is in part happening now, as we follow Jesus. We are becoming like God. And in doing so, we can understand that he is with his children. He always goes before us! This is why I picked the three cross references I did. First, Moses tells Joshua and the Israelites to be strong and courageous. Why? Was it because they were quicker, stronger, and bigger than their enemies, or maybe they outnumbered them? No! It is because their God went before them in battle.

Then he reinforces it with Joshua, and finally he speaks to us with Paul, telling us to be strong in God’s mighty power and to stand firm. God is clear: he does not want lazy Christians who like to sit on the sidelines and stay safe. He wants us to be spiritual warriors who fight and wage war against evil.

And when we are persecuted for righteousness, we know that God goes before us, as well. That is how we can rejoice and be glad during our persecution. Is because we have a hope that is secure in the Lord going before us and winning the battle. And this is a spiritual battle for souls. We do not fight battles here on earth for God that are merely earthly battles for things that fade away. No! We fight spiritual battles to conquer the principalities of this world, and to rescue souls for eternity.

Join me, my friends, as we seek after God with all our hearts and are bold and courageous as we go into battle for the souls of this earth to free them from evil and to introduce them to the Savior of the World, Jesus Christ!

Lord, embolden me and make me strong in the truth and in love. Help me to set aside all of my selfish ambition and vain deceit, and to follow you wholeheartedly, without regard for my own rights or justice. You protect me and you watch out for me, and so I leave these things in your hands.