REVELATION 14:12-13
By Mike Kurtz
Read Revelation 14:12-13.
By now it should be clear that the time of Tribulation will be hard on everyone on earth. Whether they are unbelievers experiencing God’s wrath or believers experiencing Satan’s persecution through the world, it will not be an easy time for anyone. The Scriptures again call for patient endurance on the part of God’s saints during this time.
When you think of patiently enduring, what goes through your mind? I often picture people sitting through a time of suffering taking the hits quietly. I imagine people pointing fingers, ridiculing their beliefs — even worse, believers being sought after to be killed or imprisoned. Passive endurance is the picture I have in mind. If not for the next verse, I might be left with that thought. But what we see in the next verse is this: “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on… They will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them.” (v. 13) I wonder if you caught that. They will rest from their labor. These are not people who are passive about their faiths during this difficult time of persecution. These are people who continue to do the work of God. They continue to labor despite threats on their lives.
That says something about how we ought to live in the midst of adversity. It says that rather than shutting down for a while until things start to cool off, we ought to continue our efforts. We ought to get involved. We are to labor hard in the work of the Lord rather than move toward passive silence. I can see the value in this approach to adversity. If we choose to back down under the weight of adversity, that might actually be worse for us. Inactivity can be just what Satan wants, not to mention that it can cause us to turn inward rather than outward in love. Patient endurance does not mean passive acceptance. It actually means enduring while continuing to walk strong.
Consider that whenever you are experiencing great adversity. Rather than step back or away from serving others, consider enduring through it while serving others. I know that may not be for everyone, particularly those who really do need to step away for a time, but give it some consideration. Adversity has a way of getting people to turn inward and on the bench. Stay in the battle and endure patiently as you go. That’s faithfulness.
