God made many promises to us, most of which give us a sense of joy and security. But remember in John 16, Jesus gave His disciples another guarantee: “You will have suffering in this world.” We don’t like to think about suffering for His sake, but it’s a reality. The world despises Jesus, and if we are faithful to Him, the world will despise us. But if we are grounded in Him, we find our strength in Him, which means the taunts of the world won’t destroy us. Words cannot change who He is to us or who we are to Him. Trust Him to give you the words you need to stand firm against those who would try to defeat us. Remember Jesus’ other words to His disciples: “Be courageous! I have conquered the world. (HSCB)”
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