APRIL 19, 2013
Strengthened
Through Suffering
Read: 1 Peter 5:1-11
May the God of all
grace, . . . after you have suffered a while, . . . strengthen,
and settle you.
—1 Peter 5:10
Church
services often end with a benediction. A common one is taken from
Peter’s
concluding remarks in his first epistle: “May the God of all grace, who
called
us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while,
perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you” (1 Peter 5:10). Sometimes
omitted in the benediction is the phrase “after you have suffered a while.”
Why?
Perhaps because it is not pleasant to speak of suffering.
It
should not surprise us, however, when suffering comes our way. The apostle
Paul, who knew well what it was to suffer, wrote: “All who desire to live godly
in
Christ Jesus will suffer persecution” (2 Tim. 3:12).
If
we live a life of submission to God (1 Peter 5:6) and resisting the devil
(v.9),
we can expect to be maligned, misunderstood, and even taken advantage
of. But
the apostle Peter says that there is a purpose for such suffering. It
is to “restore
you and make you strong, firm, and steadfast” (v.10niv).
God’s
path for our Christian growth often leads us through difficulties, but they
fortify us to withstand life’s future storms. May God help us to be faithful as
we
seek to boldly live a life that honors Him.
Forbid it, Lord, that I should be
Afraid of persecution’s frown;
For Thou hast promised faithful ones
That they shall wear the victor’s crown. —Bosch
When God would make us strong He schools us through hardships.
Source:
Our Daily Bread 2012
