“And the God
of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have
suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and
steadfast. To him be the power for ever
and ever. Amen.” (1 Peter 5:10-11)
The suffering Peter speaks of
is not of a physical nature, but rather of a spiritual one. The recipients of this letter were
predominantly gentile converts in Asia Minor as evidenced by the description of
their previous lifestyle (1 Peter 1:14, 18; 4:3). The suffering they were experiencing was the
result of the social tensions created by their very distinctive lifestyle. They were discriminated against, slandered
and ostracized by the non-Christians all around them. They had begun to wonder about the validity
of the “grace” God provides.
Perhaps
you too have suffered spiritually for your faith; not persecuted, per se, but
lied about, made fun of or set apart.
Maybe you’ve been blocked from a certain job because of your
beliefs. God will not allow the
suffering but for a season of your life.
He knows all about each situation you face and will not allow those who
come against you to prevail in the end.
Let each situation you face strengthen your resolve to serve God
more. Man cannot take anything of
eternal value from you unless you let him.
God will restore you spiritually, but first you must live a life that
warrants being noticed. Live according
to the principles of God each day and people will notice. Until next time, walk with the King and be a
blessing!
