In fact, when we were with you, we kept telling you that we would be persecuted. And it turned out that way, as you well know.
1 Thessalonians 3:4 NIV
Affliction Assured
Minimal health services were made available to Indigenous people in the late 19th century. Initially made at the request of missionary organizations, these health services were meant to contain ill-health, they feared Indigenous communities might spread to white settlements. As part of negotiations for Treaty 6, Chiefs brought forward terms related to healthcare. Their efforts resulted in Treaty 6 including a clause requiring a medicine chest be maintained at the house of the Indian Agent. Some argue this clause establishes a Treaty Right to equal access to modern healthcare.
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There is a reason that the message of Jesus Christ and all He did for us is called the Gospel, a word meaning good news. The fact that Jesus, by His death and resurrection, continues to transform countless lives around the world every day is the best news there is. This being said, Jesus never promises His followers that life would always be easy. He told them, and us, that in this world we will have tribulation. In 1 Thessalonians 3:4, Paul reminds the believers in Thessalonica the same thing: “In fact, when we were with you, we kept telling you that we would be persecuted. And it turned out that way, as you well know.” Too often we equate God’s blessing with comfort. Yet Scripture consistently teaches that obedience may lead us straight into difficulty. The surprise is not the trouble; the surprise is how God meets us there. Trials refine our faith, deepen our dependence, and reveal the strength God has already placed within us. If you are facing pressure today, take heart. You are not failing; you are being formed. God is using this moment to anchor your faith more deeply in Him.
These have been words from the heart.
Bob Beasley