This week, we are looking at Jesus’ verdict of the church in Smyrna in Revelation 2:8. This church seems small and relatively poor in material wealth, but they are having enough of an impact to attract abuse from the surrounding Jews who reject Christ. They seem to be holding the line amidst their struggles, which the Lord commends them for. He even lays into their oppressors, labeling them the synagogue of Satan.
The Lord then forewarns them of an impending trial where they will suffer for a specified amount of time. Wrongful imprisonment and life-threatening persecution will overtake them for ten days. The Lord offers no way of escape or any way to mitigate loss. Instead, he states, “Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.” The Lord gave them foreknowledge of future suffering. There has to be some fear and anxiety.
There is a fear of pain, a fear of loss, a fear of suffering that can be incredibly powerful. When it becomes clear that we’re going through, not around, we naturally tend to despair. We don’t need to be afraid! The Lord has brought us through all kinds of stuff thus far. Each of us have a list of hard things God helped us through. I remember clearly the time when the Lord took me through the worst period of pain in my life.
For those who don’t know, I have something like Cerebral Palsy, and it makes controlling my legs tricky. I had my last surgery to lengthen my hamstrings when I was fourteen. The surgery went smoothly enough, but upon waking from anesthesia, my spasticity kicked in, and my legs tightened up as they always do. I got to feel the sensation of my legs pulling themselves apart.
My whole reality was pain, and all I could do was scream! For two weeks, my entire existence was pain. It supplanted my thoughts and invaded every part of my mind. There was no escaping. It was terrifying. I wordlessly called to the Lord; there were no words. The Lord protected me! He enabled my heart and mind to receive a conviction that this would not be my end. Pain is not annihilation, pain is not oblivion. I couldn’t do much, but I found I could pray, so I did. As the pain slowly receded, The Lord instilled in me a quiet confidence that if he could bring me through that ordeal, anything less is a cakewalk.
Nothing in my life has gotten close to that pain, yet, which is a blessing to be sure. He knew he could get me through it, before it happened. If there’s something worse ahead of me, he can get me through that, too! The Christians in Smyrna had already seen the Lord get them through difficult times. Let our confidence in our Lord grow with each challenge until we see him face to face!
Jonathan Duncan