Suffering a Little ... Glory Forever
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, establish and strengthen you. (I Peter 5:10)
I Peter 5:1-11, 2:20-21; II Peter 1:10; Ps. 73:24; Acts 5:41; Rom 8:17-18; II Cor. 4:17; Eph. 1:18
What Is God Saying?
This verse is in a letter to Christians who knew or were soon to know persecution and suffering. Peter was in the thick of it. Suffering was not a subject of academic discussion. It was happening. Nero was at his best or worst. Christians were torched nightly, giving an eerie light to the gardens of this powerful man with a twisted mind. In the Coliseum, Christians were fed to hungry lions to provide exciting entertainment for the frenzied crowds. Paul, no doubt, had already suffered martyrdom. Indeed, suffering was everywhere in Rome and soon spread everywhere in its colonies.
Peter wrote this letter to strengthen and encourage Christians. The whole letter is to help Christians remain faithful to their Lord through the trials that were inevitably to come. The keywords are ‘suffering .. a little while’ and ‘glory .. eternal.’ Some would be picked up, set firmly in place, and become stronger than ever. Others would be released by death, but all of God's faithful ones will share in Chnst's eternal glory, and in that endless life there will be no trace of pain or suffering.
How Does This Apply To Us?
We have not and perhaps never will be called upon to suffer as the early Christians did. There is still insane cruelty in the world, and many Christians and non-Christians have known the pain and loss of man's inhumanity to man, but every Christian will face the cost of discipleship. There are still those who scorn the Christian faith and ridicule those who practice it. There are circles where we are not welcome. There are cold shoulders and whispered disdain from college campuses to corporate offices and our neighbourhoods' social circles. There are ‘friends’ who think us peculiar and from whose address books our names quietly disappear. There are some losses, some sorrows, some fears that darken the horizons in all our lives. Our rainbows of hope are sometimes drained of color. Count on this, ‘Trust the Lord and remember that other Christians are going through these sufferings too ... after you have suffered a little while ... our God will pick you up, set you firmly in place, and make you stronger than ever’ (I Peter 5:10 LB).
Pray With Me
God of all grace, this word is reassuring. Here is all my need and all Your grace. Here are all my weaknesses and all of Your strength. Here are all my failures and all Your forgiveness. God of all grace! With joy, I speak this name. With confidence, I lay hold on this claim. By Your grace, I can face all the changes and chances of life and still believe there is a perfect plan for my life. Give me the willingness to endure ‘suffering a little while’ in the calm assurance that the glory to which I am called is eternal.
The source of this all-sufficient grace and the guarantee of this eternal glory is Yourself. I do not lean on a wish but on a promise. I do not labor over a set of principles, but I rest in the living presence of my personal Lord. I do not struggle up rungs of self-improvement, so my goodness can attract Your attention. I trust Your nearness now in the depth of need amid darkness. I believe the God of all grace will Himself restore, establish, and strengthen me. In this confidence, I will rest. In this hope, I will endure. In this freedom, I will serve.
For the sake of His glory, who by His wonderful love has made eternal glory my destiny and a little suffering my privilege. Amen.
Moving On In The Life of Prayer
Prayer is kneeling down so we can stand up, tall and true. Prayer does not always get the weight off our backs; it sometimes strengthens our backs to carry the weight. Prayer is breathing in Heaven's sweetest air for a few precious moments. Prayer is finding peace and strength in the holy stillness of His presence. Prayer is being picked up, set firmly in place, and made stronger than ever. That is the purpose of prayer. That is the blessing of prayer.
