“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.” Matthew 5:11-12

The ringing of the phone was a jolt out of a dead sleep. Heart pounding, I raced to the kitchen to answer it. It’s never good news when the call is in the wee hours.

False alarm. Wrong number.

Whew. Breathe.

Heart still pounding, I tried to go back to sleep, but couldn’t.Doesn’t that happen sometimes when life hands us false alarms?

·         Unjust accusation

·         Undeserved criticism

·         Unmerited suffering

Dealing with it can be so difficult. Especially when the situation doesn’t change fast enough for our liking. When issues continue to drag on, even though they were never deserved or warranted. When the end doesn’t seem to be in sight. When we can’t seem to find the light at the end of the tunnel.

I have a tendency to be strong initially. I can even maintain it for a while. But after an extended period, I want to retreat. Crawl into a corner and have a pity party for myself. Ask God, why? Sounding like a toddler, I cry out, “it’s not fair!”

No, it isn’t. But, Jesus never promised us fair. In fact, we are to expect troubles (see John 16:33).

This morning I woke up with the words to a popular song in my head. “You put the light in me,” was playing in the iPod of my brain. Brandon Heath’s words were running around in my mind as I clicked on the radio and made a pot of coffee. Sure enough, the song came on the station I had tuned in to. I went to my Bible.

In Matthew 5, Jesus is preaching the Sermon on the Mount. In verses 11-12, He tells us we are blessed when we are persecuted in His name. Blessed! There are rewards we will not see until we reach Heaven and this is one of those times.

In verses 15-16 , Jesus goes on to talk about light. We are to be the light for Him in this world. The light that shines “before men, (v. 16)” pointing others to Him. Even when persecuted. Especially when persecuted. The only way that is possible is through His light in us.

Just like the song said.