WordLive - Year OneSample

Prepare: On this day in 1536 King Henry VIII ordered English-language Bibles to be placed in every church. Thank God for the Bibles that you have in your church and home.

Persecution
As I read this beautiful song, I imagine the video that might accompany it: perhaps scenes from David’s life, when he is being persecuted by Saul (eg 1 Samuel 24); or a flash forward to Jesus, on trial before Pilate. It could focus on David’s powerful images (vs 8,12) or on the face of this man as he pleads with God.

Many Christians today are persecuted for their faith and would have no difficulty in sympathising with the words of David’s song. Some are in prison, like Uyghur house church leader, Alimjan Yimit, serving a 15-year prison sentence. Some have experienced violence, like Dawit and Meaza in Ethiopia, who continue to live alongside their attackers.

And some have died. All of them are ordinary Christians like you and me, but they get arrested for going to church, for studying the Bible or for telling others about Jesus.

Shocking
In 2006 the Poverty and Justice Bible was published, highlighting all the verses relating to poverty. There are so many – how did we miss them before? I often think that if someone were to produce the Persecution Bible, we would be similarly shocked.

As we read these words today, let’s pray for our brothers and sisters who have held to God’s paths in the face of violence from others.

Respond: Find out more about persecuted Christians today.

http://www.wordlive.org/Session/Classic/2012-05-06