Let’s use our imagination. Let’s try to imagine the risen and ascended Christ. He bears the scars of his crucifixion (Jn. 20:20), he sits at the right hand of God (Mk. 16:19), he holds the world in his hands (Rev. 1:16), and the “keys of death and Hades” (Rev. 1:18).

Now let’s use our imaginations to picture affliction, persecution, tribulation, our worst nightmares, and the crushing pressure we all feel. It is not too difficult to go there in our minds, recalling real experiences and memories.

There exists this tension; how do we hold the correct view of Jesus in our minds and still process the pain of this world? How do we remain faithful when we don’t see God acting and the pressure tempts us to lose our first love? Justin reminded us of four promises given to the church at Smyrna in Revelation 2 that speaks to this tension.

1. Jesus is with you and you are with Him
“I know your tribulation and your poverty…do not fear” (Rev. 2:9,10)

2. Jesus has final authority
“The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life” (Rev. 2:8)

3. Endurance means the “Crown of Life”
“Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Rev. 2:10)

4. We won’t be hurt by the second death
“The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death” (Rev. 2:11)

I think it is important to add these promises: knowing that Jesus sympathizes with our trials, they exist because he allows them to, and there is a real reward at the end, to our picture of Jesus from earlier. In our women’s large group in February we studied Psalm 73. In this Psalm the writer laments and is “envious of the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked…they are not stricken like the rest of mankind…their tongue struts through the earth” (Ps. 73:3,5,9). Much like the church in Smyrna, the people of God suffer, all while seeing the prospering of others who do not serve the Lord. But, then the writer of the Psalm says this, “…until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I discerned their end…For behold, those who are far from you shall perish; you put an end to everyone who is unfaithful to you. But for me, it is good to be near God” (Ps. 73:17,27,28).

Even in the midst of our hardships in this life we can feel the Lord drawing us near to himself. Justin mentioned that the Lord only requires faithfulness in the midst of suffering, not fruitfulness. And truthfully, much like Peter and his denial of Christ, we aren’t very good at even being faithful in the face of persecution. But, we can hold onto the Jesus who is the ultimate faithful one, by remembering his promises and holding the view of him in our imaginations daily.

~ Bronwyn Siebert