After you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace…will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. – 1 Peter 5:10
July 14, 64 A.D., Rome. A fire that ignited six days earlier had engulfed Rome in flames, burning out of control. Emperor Nero was no friend to Christians. In fact, he and many Roman citizens were hostile toward believers and they blamed them for starting the fire. That unleashed a rash of persecution against Christ-followers that spread to other parts of the Roman Empire. History records that many who professed Christ as Savior were set ablaze while they were still alive, becoming human torches to provide light for the emperor’s garden parties. There was more to endure. In the midst of this “cancel culture,” Peter wrote his first and second epistles.
December 31, 2019, Beijing. The government of China announced that it had been dealing with a virus that seemed to be overtaking a portion of the city of Wuhan. By the 20th of January 2020, the first confirmed cases outside mainland Chine occurred elsewhere in Asia. The next day, a U.S. citizen in Washington state developed symptoms after returning on a ship from China. You’ve watched the progression of COVID-19 and there remains more to endure.
Neither these events, nor others that have intervened since, nor the ones that are still around the corner, come as any surprise to God. It is time to take hold of God’s perspective. Jesus said there would be trials and tribulations; eschatology points to times of great trouble and turmoil. You don’t know what tomorrow holds—but you do know Who holds tomorrow.
In the meantime, God says be patient, be prayerful, be positive, be productive, be proactive, and be prepared. Know that His grace is sufficient to sustain you… and He longs to pour out that grace on others. Pray that the hearts of the men and women in government will be softened toward God, His Word, and the Savior.
Today’s Verse: 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.
All Scripture quotations and audio are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Recommended for further reading: 1 Peter 5:6-11
6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, 7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. 8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. 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. 11 To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.
All Scripture quotations and audio are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
