“Be sober minded (alert), be vigilant (watchful), because your adversary, the Devil, prowls around like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, AFTER you have suffered a little while, will Himself restore you and make you strong, confirm you (make you secure), and establish you (on a firm foundation).” (1 Peter 5:8-10)
So often our sufferings here don’t feel like a “little while,” they seem to go on and on, morphing from one trial into another. We barely learn how to live with one trial, only to have another one roll in. It can feel like eternity when you’re the one living it, but it’s actually only a snippet in time. There’s an “after.”
It’s good to remember that not all healing has to wait till Heaven; this verse reminds us of that. There’s a time of healing, restoration, and strength, that comes through reliance on Christ. It’s never as fast as we want in our rushed world, but true healing takes time to work through. We can never go back to the way we were before great trials; we change, we grow, we mature, and we long for Heaven in a new way.
But in the “after” comes a clarity of mind that is so valuable. We KNOW that this world is not our home or our comfort. We KNOW that everything in this life is passing away, but His Word (promises) are forever. We KNOW that the things in this life that once seemed so captivating to us, are dwarfed by the spiritual importance of what’s really going on. We no longer put our faith in the ways of man, or government, or healthcare, for they are all notoriously corrupted. Our hope is in God alone, and that’s never been more clear.
Praise God, dear ones, there’s an “after” to our sufferings. May we not lose hope as we live each day pressing on. And always remember… God has a place prepared for us that will bring full and complete restoration and it’s coming sooner than we think!
Come Lord Jesus.
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