1 Peter 5:10, “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.”
Are you going through an “and” in your life? The word “and” signifies something more or additional. Not something singular. The term “and” is what is known as a conjunction. Conjunctions are words that join together other words, phrases, or sentences. Several years ago, we were going through a challenging situation that was out of our control, and then another trial came on top of that one and another one. It took time, but 1 Peter 5:10 became real. 1 Peter 5:10 is part of my life’s story.
We all worry at times, and have cares, yet Peter admonished in verse 7 in, declaring, “casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” Worrying about being famous, liked, rising to the top, and getting recognition will disappear when keeping a humble perspective in throwing your wishes, desires, and needs onto God and asking humbly (verse 6) for His provision. There is a two-part requirement. God just showed up again to me this past week with this verse and I had to pause at verse 6 as I read, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so at the proper time he may exalt you.” So, I told God, OK. Please do this. I had had a disappointment. One day later He provided a specific blessing (“so at the proper time he may exalt you“) I had not expected. It was and still is a WOW moment!
Ask God to take the passion that you have thrown over to Him (it might take two hands to do so) and ask Him to bring glory to God through your efforts and to be of benefit and to see 1 Peter 5:10 a reality in your life.
So now what is left to do? You hold onto God’s promise to you of 1 Peter 5:10. Put your name in it. “And after ____________ have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called ___________ to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish ___________. To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.”
Peter warns in verse 8, to be steadfast in your faith despite “Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” “Like a roaring lion: For Christians, Satan is a lion who may roar but who has been de-fanged at the cross (Colossians 2:15). Yet the sound of his roar – his deceptive lies – are still potent and he has the power to devour souls and rob Christians of effectiveness.
- He roars through persecution.
- He roars through strong temptation.
- He roars through blasphemies and accusations against God.” (David Guzik Commentary, Blue Letter Bible)
Prayer is our weapon of defense, as is quoting God’s Word.
You may wonder how God will restore you whenever you are going through a trial or coming out of one. Hebrews 13:21 states, He will “Equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.” God will see that His will is accomplished in your life as you obediently submit to Him. So, keep a firm grip on your faith, and your generous heavenly Father will have the last word in the end. Watch for it. Wait for your “and” conclusion and blessing for God to reveal to you in the end as He will:
- Restore you
- Confirm you
- Strengthen you
- Establish you
And in your “and after” you will have gained, in the end, purified character, increased patience and perseverance, increased empathy, and newly acquired appreciation of the presence and glory of God as you will be able to say: “The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need.” Psalm 23:1 NLT.
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A plaque with I Peter 5:7 hung in the home in which I grew up. It was a gift from your father to my mother.
Jim, I did not know that. Thank you for telling me! I will remember that now whenever I read 1 Peter 5:7. Thank you for sharing this!