Dear Friend of the Persecuted Church—

There is no doubt that we live in a world filled with suffering.  One need not look any further than the evening news for that; whether crime, or natural disaster, or poverty, or some individualized combination, suffering is all around us.

Being a Christian is no different.  Turning to Christ does not mean the end of suffering; in fact it often means the opposite.  It is a promise: “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.”  (2 Timothy 3:12)

Speaking as one who has seen that persecution first hand, in countries where choosing Christ can mean death, I can personally attest to the horror of the suffering of our brothers and sisters.  I’ve heard their stories, seen how they live, and been overwhelmed by their commitment to the truth.

But that is not the end of the story.  It’s barely even the beginning of the story—the first sentence, if you will, in the unending book of God’s faithfulness.  It’s a sentence embodying all the pain and suffering that the kingdom of darkness can throw at a believer, but when the period is dotted at the end of that sentence, there is no going back.

I was reminded this week of one of the Bible’s greatest promises, found in Revelation 7:17:  “God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.”  The same idea is repeated chapters later, in Revelation 21:4: “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.”

Can you even imagine that?  The all-powerful, all-knowing, all-perfect Creator God will take up the handkerchief and wipe the tears from the eyes of His people.  The voice that spoke the universe into existence will speak words of comfort as the hands that hold all things gently wipe away the tears of suffering.

And that is the end of the story—except that the perfection of Heaven doesn’t end.  That’s our common hope as Christians!

This week, will you pray that the God of comfort will remind His suffering children of that hope?

Yours for the Body of Christ,

Gabriel J. Waddell
Executive Director

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