This post is Day 12 in a series of studies about “Surprises”. I strongly suggest you begin with the introduction to this study, please click here to read it.

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Surprises – Day 12

Many people are thinking that God has gone to sleep, or fallen from His throne or is just not as capable as we had hoped He would be. Many other people are feeling as though church, (and consequently God) is irrelevant in this world, and are separating themselves from both.

1 John 3:13

Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters if the world hates you.

The Thought

We are living in a twenty first century world where good and evil are becoming more and more obvious if our spiritual eyes are open and we are awake to see what is happening. Many of us don’t listen to the news or dismiss much of it as being crazy. We try to continue our lives as before. But nothing is quite like it was before … before covid … before the last government change … before that job loss … before somebody we loved disappeared from our life … before we lived alone, or with the person we now think is the wrong partner.

Many people are thinking that God has gone to sleep, or fallen from His throne or is just not as capable as we had hoped He would be. Other people are feeling as though church, (and consequently God) is irrelevant in today’s world, and are separating themselves from both.

Many believers, as this verse suggests, really are surprised at the way the world hates them.

We need to remember that “the world” is not run by Christians. Satan is still alive and well. He hated Jesus, and he hates the followers of Jesus as much today as he did when Jesus walked the earth.

Action

Read this chapter of the first short letter of John today, and ask yourself if the world hates you. Do you feel loved or hated, not just by your own family, but by those outside your family.

Do you know people who have no time at all for Christians or church goers? They have probably been hurt by a past experience. Pray for them today.

Praise God that His Word is just as relevant today as it was when it was written. Remind yourself today that He is still The God of surprises. Good ones! Hallelujah!

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