Many are the people and situations on the prayer list that my husband, Gaylon, and I pray over every day. Occasionally, we stop and look at each other and one of us will say, “People are going through so much. It is unbelievable what people are facing.” 

In our prayer time, we are praying for those suffering with cancer, which includes a child diagnosed before he was one year old, Parkinson’s Disease, mental health issues, autism, financial issues, impending divorce, death of a spouse or a child. The list is long. There are so many of God’s people who are suffering in this life.

No one wants to suffer, but in a fallen world, it is unavoidable. I know many want to preach it away, but the truth is suffering will visit us all.

While there is all kind of suffering, today I want to talk about suffering for Christ. Ugh! Do we have to discuss such an unpleasant subject? Actually, yes, we do. It is much needed.

One of the ministries that have supported for years is Voice of the Martyrs, started by Richard and Sabina Wurmbrand in 1967. Richard Wurmbrand preached at bomb shelters and rescued Jews during World War II. He experienced imprisonment and torture by the Communist regime of Romania, which maintained a policy of state atheism. He was hideously tortured during his fourteen years in prison. All that torture could have been avoided, if Wurmbrand had just renounced his faith and lived like the world around him.

Wurmbrand wrote a book entitled Tortured for Christ which also became a movie. I have read the book and viewed the movie. It was not an easy read, and the movie was challenging to watch. But the story leaves one with the reality that victory comes in the end. God will have the last word.

Many believers have long forgotten the lives and testimonies of Richard and Sabina Wurmbrand, or they know nothing about them. Quite frankly, stories like theirs disturb the pleasant Christian life so many of us enjoy. Richard Wurmbrand was a man for his time. He obeyed the light he had and boldly preached Christ despite the oppression, hurt, torture, and suffering. Christ was his message.

It is improbable that any of us in America will be imprisoned and tortured for our faith in Jesus Christ. We live in the Disney World of nations as far as persecution for our faith. But make no mistake about it, many in this country have suffered simply for refusing to compromise their faith. It has cost some their businesses, their careers, their social media accounts, their friendships, and other things. While that does not come close to persecution such as Richard Wurmbrand and others have suffered, we must understand that we live in a world that is increasingly hostile toward Christianity and the truth of what the Bible teaches.

As the influence of Christianity wanes and is even ridiculed, we will be accused of being small-minded, hateful, or judgmental. We have already been. Now is the time to be freshly infused with the power and presence of the Holy Spirit. Prepare now for what is to come.

Wurmbrand had an extraordinary testimony to the sufferings that Christians were enduring in Eastern Europe. His witness is considered to have been a factor in the ultimate collapse of communism in Romania and elsewhere. Richard and Sabina Wurmbrand were ordinary people, who stood firm for Christ against evil.

First Peter 4:19 says, “Therefore let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to Him in doing good, as to a faithful Creator.”

We are not promised an easy and carefree life as followers of Jesus. Rather, we are promised in First Peter that we will experience a “fiery trial;” maybe several trials. How should we respond when this happens? We must keep our eye on the reality of eternity. We will face pain in this life as followers of Jesus, but the eternal reward far outweighs the momentary sorrows.

Perhaps God will not have you endure the torture of a communist prison for His sake. Could it be that your faithfulness will not be proven in a prison cell but in your prayer closet and in the way you live your life before others?

Keep your eye on eternity. Suffering is inevitable, so is victory!

^“Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong.” 1 Corinthians 16:13 NLT; ^“Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” – Ephesians 6:11.