Christian Devotional – July 4, 2023

Through Suffering, Day 16

Praise and continue. Read 1 Peter 4:12-19.

Today in the United States we celebrate our Independence Day as a nation. Interestingly, in our reading today in first Peter, we see a group of individuals who did not have religious freedom. They were being persecuted for believing in Christ and following his commands.

While we can celebrate our freedom today, we must also understand that those freedoms are constantly attacked. No matter where we are, we can still experience suffering and there are still difficulties and challenges that we face. We must be focused on following God, period.

These verses today both speak about the importance of staying committed to our obedience and praising God through the difficulties and challenges. Are we still focused on the obedience to Christ that he deserves? May we never take it for granted that we have religious freedom and may we continue to fight for that opportunity for all people across the globe.