They will not prosper

But the LORD is with me as a mighty, awesome One. Therefore my persecutors will stumble, and will not prevail. They will be greatly ashamed, for they will not prosper. Their everlasting confusion will never be forgotten.  – Jeremiah 20.11

It sure doesn’t seem like things are going our way. I was looking at the 2016 Irish census results a few days ago and was saddened to see that the percentage as those who identify as any kind of evangelical Christian has dropped again. The total is well under 2% of the Irish population. It is the smallest percentage of evangelicals of any English speaking country in the world.

Not only that, it seems like we are returning to the norm where we as Christians are no longer going to be in some sort of ‘most favoured people’ status. Opposition and persecution has been the lot of God’s people through most of history and most of the world.  Those who live in the ‘christianised west’ have enjoyed freedom and liberty and even favouritism for a long time.

But that is not our lot. Jesus said that those who ‘live godly in Christ Jesus’ will suffer persecution so had better just get used to it. The people in Jeremiah’s day knew all about it. The people in the early church today knew all about it. Christians in North Korean and Sudan and Morocco and so many other places today know about it. I am not sure why we think we ought to be exempt.

It is a scary thought, but we can be assured that no matter what we have to face we are on the Victor’s side. The enemies of God will stumble. They will not prevail. They will be ashamed. They will not prosper. Their eternal confusion will never be forgotten.

Why? Because the Lord is with me as a mighty, awesome one!

We will get through whatever may come our way in the way of persecution and come out like fine gold on the other side.