(The following is the November 17 devotional from my Next Step Devotions book. Before reading it, I suggest you read 2 Peter 3 and pay close attention to verses 1-7.)

Some unbelievers take great joy in mocking Christians and their beliefs. Many laugh at the Genesis creation account or an ark large enough to house all kinds of animals. Others reject what they perceive as a wrathful, unloving God in the Old Testament. They dismiss teachings about Satan, demons, angels, and other spiritual realities. Others reject Jesus’ virgin birth, sinless life, death, and resurrection. Scoffers grasp any opportunity to dismiss a faith that calls them to forsake their sins and place their trust in Jesus Christ as Lord.

Christian belief in the coming day of the Lord, or Christ’s second coming, is another occasion for unbelievers to mock: “Scoffers will come in the last days scoffing and following their own evil desires, saying, ‘Where is his “coming” that he promised? Ever since our ancestors fell asleep, all things continue as they have been since the beginning of creation’” (vv. 3-4). Because much time has passed since the prophecy, some mistakenly assume it will never occur.

What will happen when God ushers in his final kingdom is complicated. God hasn’t chosen to reveal all the details to us. But we can trust and faithfully proclaim what he has revealed in his Word. People may still scoff, like a Jewish rabbi who said at a lecture I attended, “You Christians hope for a second coming of Jesus because the first one didn’t turn out so well.” Oh, yes, it did! He got a laugh from some in the audience, but he won’t be laughing when the Lord comes again to hold him accountable for rejecting the Messiah.

Don’t allow mockers to intimidate or keep you from believing and living according to God’s Word. Our Lord endured much worse treatment, yet he remained faithful to his mission. So must we.

Next Step:
Have you ever been mocked for your faith? How did you respond? How do you hope to react if it happens in the future?