A Life in Exile

In a recent conversation with a friend, my heart went out to her as she shared the news of suffering believers in her home country, a place where I had lived and served, and where the government had fallen and been replaced by radical Muslims. Christians are living in fear and seeing horrific acts of violence. What she said next pierced my heart:

“Believers are asking how long they will have to suffer. Our country has been at war now for decades and Christians have been oppressed for even longer. Will we never live in peace?”

Echoes of the Psalms.

Her broken heart tore into my own, as I felt the pain she had for her family and people. As I listened, I realized these cries are neither unique nor new. Countless before them have questioned the Lord’s presence in the midst of suffering, just as David did.

How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long will I store up anxious concerns within me, agony in my mind every day? How long will my enemy dominate me?

Consider me and answer, Lord my God. Restore brightness to my eyes; otherwise, I will sleep in death. My enemy will say, “I have triumphed over him,” and my foes will rejoice because I am shaken.

But I have trusted in your faithful love; my heart will rejoice in your deliverance. I will sing to the Lord because he has treated me generously. (Psalm 13 CSB)

Even as we spoke, she still conveyed her trust in the Lord for his watchcare and protection. Yet, I heard the heartbreak, the weariness, hurt, and even fear for the future. I prayed as I listened for God’s guidance, and I was grateful for passages I had been studying in recent days that could speak into her pain.

Paths of righteousness are of God’s choosing.

Psalm 23 tells us that he leads us in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. That tells us two things. The paths that lead to our growing in righteousness are chosen by God. He leads us in them, and they are for the sake of his name or for his glory. There is a purpose for the ways in which God leads us. What happens next in that psalm? The words “even though” are a clue.

Sometimes those paths God chooses for us are overshadowed with death. To live in almost every country of the Middle East is to be living in an area overshadowed by the potential of death. Not simply natural death, but death from violence, wars, religious divisions and persecutions, and displacement. Christians are not immune to these ever-present realities, and though they may ebb and flow in certain areas, anything can quickly trigger change and upheaval.

My prayer for believers in the Middle East and around the world, as God chooses to lead them in paths of righteousness, is that they will keep their eyes on the Good Shepherd, no matter how dark the shadows.

The end times have a final destination.

Scripture is very clear that when Jesus returns, he’s returning to a specific place in this world. I had to remind my friend that as the day draws near, Middle Eastern believers are going to increasingly feel the effects of the chaos, violence, and deceit brought on by Satan and his demons. It’s a simple fact of geography that they live near Jerusalem and will be caught up in the climax of history. What does Jesus say about this?

Because lawlessness will multiply, the love of many will grow cold. (Matthew 24:12)

And the writer of Hebrews adds:

For you need endurance, so that after you have done God’s will, you may receive what was promised. For yet in a very little while, the Coming One will come and not delay. But my righteous one will live by faith; and if he draws back, I have no pleasure in him. But we are not those who draw back and are destroyed, but those who have faith and are saved. (Hebrews 10:36-39)

All I could say to my friend was that I am praying that believers who are struggling will not grow cold and will instead stand strong in their faith, knowing that a better day is coming.

Living in view of eternity.

A recent sermon from my local pastor reiterated how we as Christians are to live. We already know the end of the story, and it’s the true story of Christ’s return and the restoration of all things with God and Christ on the throne. In the midst of the trials, I can live with peace and hope, knowing that this is not the end. God has something better for me.

I heard the heart of my friend. It’s hard to watch Christians who have known nothing but suffering and trial for the entirety of their lives, when other Christians know no such issues and can live their lives in peace and freedom. It’s hard to see politicians and governments make decisions that impact believers and churches in these hard-pressed areas. What happens? We compare, we blame, we complain.

What happens when we react in such ways? We forget who is in control and who knows the beginning from the end. I’m not making a blanket justification of earthly decisions, but I am recognizing that even though the ways of man may seem to hurt the cause of Christ today and harm his people, I choose to trust that God will use the evil, yes, even evil, for his good purposes.

How can we pray and help?

Though the soon of the Lord may not seem soon enough for us or for those pressed down under the weight of suffering, we can pledge to stand beside our brothers and sisters in Christ through prayer and support. Pray in light of the things mentioned above, that Christ will overwhelm them with his presence and show them his grace and mercy in ways that reveal they are not forgotten. Pray for their perseverance in persecution and trials. Pray for God’s protection over his people in the hard-pressed areas of the world, so that the message of the gospel will continue to spread.

I also think we need to pray that the church in “peaceful” areas needs to wake up and become a true lifeline of prayer for those under persecution and who live in war zones. We are called as a Body to support one another in prayer, but we often forget to pray individually and corporately for the persecuted Church.

We can also give and go to support those in need. There are many Christian organizations that serve among the nations. Continue to share the needs with fellow believers and provide opportunities to join those struggling for the sake of his name. Things will grow increasingly dire for Christ-followers as the day draws near. Let us not neglect joining forces for mutual growth and encouragement to his glory.

Grace and Peace

If you missed the last Mission Monday post, click HERE, or check out these other posts about persecution and trials among believers: When the Props Fall Out, Embrace Suffering, Trust in the Beloved, Lessons from the Mountainside: 8, and Standing Fast.