10. 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, firm, and steadfast. 11. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.
As we resist Satan and stand firm in the promises of the Bible, even though there will be suffering, there is the promise that God will restore us. He will make us strong and make us firm and make us persevere. I look at the problems so many pastors face from the weakest to the strongest and realize it is hard to be persistent. Yet God knows what He is doing and is in complete control, no matter how difficult the fiery trial may be. Christians always have hope. We know that we are going to glory, and that is all that really counts. Our present suffering is only for a season. The glory that results is eternal.
don't forget, our trials are building Christian character. The Greek word translated to make you perfect means to equip, to adjust, to fit together. God has several means by which He uses to equip His people for life and service. Suffering is one of them.
There are three other words to describe the kind of character God wants us to have. To be strong or strengthen refers to God's strength, which is enough to meet the demands of life. A life with no effort and no discipline is flabby. No one really knows what his faith means to him until that faith has been tried in the furnace of affliction.
The second word, firm, is also translated established. That means to fix firmly and to set fast. We must not be unsteady in the stand for Christ but established in the truth. When we are established, we will not be moved by persecution, or led away by false doctrine.
Steadfast means to lay the foundation. We began our relationship with our Almighty God when we realized that we could take no pride in ourselves. We are sinners in need of forgiveness. We are dependent upon Christ's death on the cross to make us right with God. He died for our sin. When we make our commitment to make Christ Savior and Lord, He continues the work in us and calls us together with others in Jesus to serve Him together according to our abilities.
There is a heavenward focus however. We shall see Him as He is. Jesus is returning for us and to win the victory.
Application: How do we receive God’s power in our struggle in our lives? Let’s review; First, we humble ourselves as sinners and be willing to serve God completely. He gives us His grace. Then we give Him our cares and worries. Resist the evil one by being in the Word. The Victory is ours!
Prayer: To You, You alone Oh Lord be the Glory!
