"For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. For, “All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord stands forever.” And this is the word that was preached to you." - 1 Peter 1:23-25

These days cause me to be acutely aware that "All men are like grass". MacArthur Arbado, an elder at the Bible Baptist Church in Carmen, Cotabato, Philippines was murdered on November 10 as he returned to his farm; Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani has been held in a Iranian prison since 2009, and is now facing a possible death sentence; On November 13 a gang of men attacked leaders from the Agape Baptist Church who were participating in a spiritual renewal meeting near Hanoi, Vietnam. One pastor was left unconscious for hours after the attack, and several others were seriously injured. Yet, in all of this they testify of being secure and at rest in their imperishable life with God.

Peter wrote to fellow believers at a time when they suffered great persecution for being Christians. Their faith was severely tried, but they were encouraged by Peter to stay focused on their eternal and enduring inheritance in heaven. Persecution and even the daily struggles of life can be more than discouraging. But when we live each day, looking for the coming of our Lord, we find our hope in him and are encouraged to press on in faith.

Being persecuted for our faith and suffering loss of jobs, homes, freedoms and even loved ones will certainly take its toll. But we can find strength and courage my friend, in the one who has given us his enduring word and everlasting life. Remember the words of Paul in 2 Corinthians 4:16-18, "Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."