Worthy To Suffer

Note: Keep in mind that the following scripture references and quotes are pulled from the English Standard Version of the Bible and any other quoted versions are referenced within the text. 

The first two weeks of Guatemala have been full of ups and downs, twists and turns and many different rides. From some of our squad getting parasites and salmonella to stepping into homes full of absolute darkness, our squad has experienced a lot of attacks from Satan. But through all the things the devil tries to throw at us, we have been able to grow stronger, individually, as teams, and as a squad as a whole. 

We’ve been working with ministries around Antigua, Chimaltenango, & Parramos to spread the love of the Lord through house visits, playing soccer with the locals, and teaching English lessons to children as young as 4 and adults as old as 26. 

 Teaching English to local children in Chimaltenango.

Playing soccer with local children in Chimaltenango

Through all the ministry we’ve done the Lord has continually shown our team that no matter how tired, beaten down or attacked from Satan we may feel, the Lord is using every moment that we do ministry to further His Kingdom. We are called to be servants of the Lord. Serving the Lord sometimes just means giving God the glory and praise, even when things are rough and we don’t feel like praising Him. I  couldn’t ask for a better reminder of this than the one that I got while doing my morning devotion in the book of Acts a few days ago. 

In Acts chapter 5 verses 17-42, Luke writes about how the apostles were arrested and put in a public prison. Then during the night that they were in the prison an angel of the Lord opened up the prison doors and told them to “Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this Life” (verse 20). So they did as the Lord had commanded them and went and preached in the temple at daybreak. 

That day the high priest came and brought with him all his people and they called together the council who were all the senate of the people of Israel. They sent officers to gather the apostles but they could not find them in the prison. Then someone else came and said that the men that had been put in prison were now standing in the temple teaching. The captain and the officers went to gather them, but they waited until they were done teaching and then brought them to the council. 

When the high priest questioned them about why they continued to teach the word Peter and the apostles answered them saying “We must obey God rather than men” (verse 29). After the council heard all the apostles had to say they were angered and wanted to kill them. 

But a Pharisee in the council by the name of Gamaliel, told the council to put the apostles outside for a while, as he talked to the council about them. Gamaliel told the council stories of men who had numbers of followers and many who joined  those men. But Gamaliel goes on to describe how each of the men were eventually killed and their “followers dispersed and came to nothing” (verse 36). 

Then the Pharisee says “So in the present case I tell you, keep away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or undertaking is of man, it will fail; but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You might even be found opposing God” (verses 38-39). 

Luke then goes on and writes that the council beat them and told them not to speak in the name of Jesus. Verse 41 says “Then they (the apostles) left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name.” 

In an NIV Bible verse 41 says that the apostles left Sanhedrin “rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the name of Jesus.” 

In the NASB and NKJV verse 41 says that the apostles left the council “rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name.” 

The general idea of verse 41 is that the apostles, even after being publicly humiliated, beaten and disgraced, were still ready and happy to go and worship and share the good news of the Lord. They weren’t scared of being beaten or having someone tell them that they couldn’t share the gospel. They weren’t afraid to continue to go through the mental and physical pain that speaking the name of Jesus would bring them. They were ready and “rejoicing” that they were even considered WORTHY to suffer for the name of Jesus. 

I have re-read this passage so many times since I first read it some days ago and each and every time I read the story again, I become even more amazed by the apostles and how courageous they were. Lately my team has been suffering attacks from the devil left and right. My team (and my squad) are very resilient to the attacks of the devil.  But I still wanted to read this scripture over my team last night during our team time. It was a reminder that even when we are feeling attacked on all sides, we should still be rejoicing in the Lord God Almighty because the only way we will ever be able to get through the attacks is to rely on the Lord. Even in our suffering we should still be praising His name. 

When you rely on the Lord and have that intimacy with him (the intimacy that allows you to praise His name even if you’re suffering), then that relationship will allow you to feel freedom like you’ve never felt before.