… So he replied, “These are the ones who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

— Revelation 7:14

I have told you these things so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take courage; I have overcome the world!”

— John 16:33

strengthening the souls of the disciples and encouraging them to continue in the faith. “We must endure many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,” they said.

— Acts 14:22

Indeed, all who desire to live godly lives in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,

— 2 Timothy 3:12

35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?

36 As it is written: “For Your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”

39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

— Romans 8:35-36; 39

Thoughts on Today’s Reading

May the Lord bless you with His everlasting love and peace.

In Revelation 7 John recorded, while standing in front of God’s throne hearing the worshiping praises for God, an elder asked him who were the great multitude of people, who cannot be counted, dressed in white robes and where had they come from. The elder then told John they are the faithful ones God had brought through the great tribulation and they had washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. What is this tribulation then? Life in this world brings inevitable distress. Ever since sin entered the world, all people suffer. Christians also face trials, persecution or troubles because they are identified with Jesus Christ. Over the human history, God’s children had suffered or martyred for being faithful to God. Today Christians continue to suffer and even martyr for the Lord, experiencing His love as better than life.

The apostle Paul asked, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or swords?” Those who follow the Lamb who was slain may encounter these troubles, but they never face their distress alone, nor will their anguish be endless. Christ is with His suffering people. God’s promise remains: nothing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.