But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. 1 Peter 5:10 KJV
In the verse before us today, the past, present, and the future and eternal are all represented.
Past: all of us who stand now in God were not always in God. We had rejected God and turned our backs on Him, but His love just won't let go. Even when man sinned in the Garden of Eden, it was there in the Garden that the seed of redemption and restoration was sown. We all have a sinful past; the clincher is this: we do not have to be defined or limited by that past. The death and resurrection of Jesus sealed our deliverance from our sinful past, and gives us grace to enter into the Presence of God to receive all that He offers. We all have a past, but only those who have surrendered their lives to Jesus can look to the rest of today's extract with hope.
Present: Now that I am saved, I would expect that God will take me away from the world and take me home to Him. How does the world see God at work if there is nobody to show Him off? He leaves me here, and along with His Presence, he promises me pressure. If God had not provided comfort in the face of this pressure, not many people will survive. He promises me some pain and suffering, as I wait for the fullness of all He has promised. God does not lie; His intention is not to make me comfortable but to make me conformable to His will. He will do all He can to achieve this, and as I walk with Him, He will achieve this purpose.
Future and Eternal: if it is only for this life we have hope, we are of all men most miserable. God did not bring us this far to leave us without a final destination. If we are to just live down here, die and end it all there, then all the sacrifices and pain are a waste. But we know, from the assurance of the Word of God, that physical death or rapture is just a phase that translates us into the final part of the divine plan, which is eternal life with God. If I am not headed in that direction, it is not too late to find Jesus and get on the path. As long as I am alive, I have hope. It is too late only for those who are the late.
So, as I wait for the final piece of the puzzle to fall into place, I depend on God for all I need for this journey. Peter asks God to perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle. These show finality; nothing more to add. What else can you add on top of perfection, strength, establishment or settlement? I am called by grace into the life that God offers. I get in, not by labour, but by God's grace and favour. Nothing down here can be compared with the glory that is ahead. Don't let the temporary pain keep us from the eternal joy that is ahead. His time of favour is here.
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