1 PETER 5:10-11 – 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.”
THEME OF THE DAY. ONLY FOR A SHORT SEASON. Today’s scripture is the Christian life. And it is hard. The Apostle Peter tells us that all Christians suffer. And it isn’t easy to take; it is hard to endure and it never feels like Peter describes it as “a little while.” When in the midst of its grips whether physical, emotional, or spiritual, it feels like forever. It feels like our suffering has “eternal life” and will never end. We easily become David-like crying out to God his words, “How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?” (Psalm 13:1-2). And there are a couple of reasons why this perspective in suffering may easily come upon us.
First, we are creatures who crave comfort and living pain-free. Nothing wrong with this for God created us for such a life, but the Garden of Eden altered that. Sin brought all forms of pain and suffering into the human experience. We cannot escape it no matter what we try to do to elevate pain and suffering. It will not go away in this life. And the reason why we lose perspective on pain and suffering is because, though fallen, we still maintain the desire for comfort and ease. The problem is we forget the sin issue and that in this life, we won’t ever know a pain-free and suffering-free life.
Another reason why we struggle with pain and suffering is because we forget today’s scripture. All our pain, all our suffering, all our disappointments, all our discouragements, and all our dysfunctions in this life are of short duration. Really. They are. Oh, I know none of them feel like it when in the depths, but they really are. Why? God says so, “After you have suffered a little while” and because we are only on this planet for a few years. And the older we get, the more we affirm life really is of short duration.
Perspective is everything and especially when dark seasons of suffering come upon us. May God help us to see them in light of eternity and the sufficiency of His grace to help us endure. In doing so, we will be shining testimonies of His sustaining power and grace as we endure suffering and pain for a short season.
PRAYER: “Father, help me to see through the lens of eternity all that happens in my life.”
QUOTE: “Don’t let the world, flesh, and devil cloud your view to the brevity of life and a soon arriving heaven.”
Because of Him,
Pastor Jim