Holding On To Hope: 1 Peter 5:10-11
Thursday, June 3
Today’s reading: 1 Peter 5:10-11
And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.
As humans it’s just a fact…there are times when we have to go through suffering—whether it is an illness, a death in the family, a financial setback or even persecution. But God promises that He will never leave or forsake us. Remember when Jesus was in the wilderness for 40 days, no food, constantly being nagged and tempted by Satan? God refreshed and equipped Jesus with everything He needed. God did it for Jesus; He will do it for you and me, too.
Peter doesn’t just say that we will be restored, confirmed, strengthened and established. He says that God HIMSELF will do it. God will PERSONALLY look after us to make sure we are okay. He will touch us so that we are restored in body, mind and spirit. His touch heals us from our wounds and pain, disappointments and spiritual and emotional bruises. He confirms our rightful place as a daughter of the King. Because of this , we can be secure and at peace, no matter how crazy life becomes. God Himself strengthens us. Paul said it this way: “That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:10). “God plus you” is greater than any circumstance you might face. John reminds us that “He who is in you is greater that he…Satan… who is in the world.” (1 John 4:4) This is true strength! We can praise God when things get tough because we get to team up with Him to deal with that situation. Even more, God Himself establishes us. When God establishes us, His favor on our lives becomes visible to others.
Going from suffering to being established by God doesn’t happen overnight, but that’s okay. Paul describes it this way: “Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope” (Romans 5:3-4). How does our suffering produce these qualities? By forcing us to rely totally on God to get through it all. We rely on God for the strength and determination to keep on going no matter how difficult things are—that’s perseverance. After a while, it becomes a habit to persevere, part of our nature and personality to finish what we started, to look to God for creative ways to get around obstacles. As we persevere and keep obeying and trusting God, we will fulfill our calling. That’s character. When God is a vital part of our life and we can’t imagine life without Him, He becomes our hope—hope for the present and for the future.
When we view suffering this way, we realize that suffering is not punishment for our mistakes. Rather, it is necessary part of our spiritual journey because it helps to transform us, so that we can accomplish the mission God has called us to.
Dear Jesus, You are our living hope! Thank you for being with us whenever we are suffering. You never leave us to face it alone, but bring us through it. Thank you, too, for restoring, confirming, strengthening, and establishing us in Yourself so that we are fully equipped to fulfill our calling in You. In Jesus’ name and for the Father’s glory. Amen.
Listen to the beautiful voice of Anne Ayers ready 1 Peter Chapter 5 below...
