Verse of the Day 5/26

Verse of the Day 5/26/16

 

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.  English Standard Version (ESV)

 

For today's verse we return to the same passage from 1 Peter 5 where, the other day, we considered the dire warning from Peter not to take the devil lightly.  Within a few words of the warning comes a consolation for us, that if we suffer for our faith Christ Himself will restore, confirm, strengthen and establish you. 

 

All of us at some time or another have or will fall prey to some kind of temptation or stumble due to our own pride and stubbornness not to trust in God's plan, His chosen path found in His Word.  We should take it to heart that this passage with it's warning and consolation was written by Peter.  The same Peter that denied Jesus 3 times and was asked by the resurrected Jesus, "do you love me Peter"?  I've heard it said and sung before that "God's grace reaches lower than our worst mistakes".

 

"God is not the God of some grace — like bygone grace. He is the God of "all grace" — including the infinite, inexhaustible stores of future grace….Faith in that grace is the key to enduring on the narrow and hard way that leads to life."  John Piper

 

When we think about that future grace that John Piper references, it is that grace to restore confirm, strengthen and establish that Peter is referring to.

 

Regarding this book of 1 Peter, A.W. Tozer writes:

"Now, I suppose more people would like me if I were to declare that I preach the Bible and nothing but the Bible. I attempt to do that, but honesty compels me to say that the best I can do is to preach the Bible as I understand it. I trust that through your prayers and the Spirit of Christ my understanding may be right. If you pray and if I yield and trust, perhaps what we get from First Peter will indeed be approximately what Peter would say if he were here in person. We will stay as close as we can to the Word of the Living God. I Call It Heresy!, 17-18."

Whether we are preaching and teaching, leading a Bible study or small group or posting something about God's word, may our hearts may or prayer be that of Tozer's:

"Lord, I'm aware that I am an imperfect interpreter. But I'm preaching the Word of God and it is crucial that I get it right and deliver it accurately. Guide me constantly by Your Spirit so that I may be a faithful mouthpiece. Amen."

Our God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Our shelter from the stormy blast,
And our eternal home.

Under the shadow of Thy throne
Thy saints have dwelt secure;
Sufficient is Thine arm alone,
And our defense is sure.

 

Blessings,

 

Mike

 

1 Peter 5:6-11The Message (MSG)

^6-7 So be content with who you are, and don't put on airs. God's strong hand is on you; he'll promote you at the right time. Live carefree before God; he is most careful with you.

He Gets the Last Word

^8-11 Keep a cool head. Stay alert. The Devil is poised to pounce, and would like nothing better than to catch you napping. Keep your guard up. You're not the only ones plunged into these hard times. It's the same with Christians all over the world. So keep a firm grip on the faith. The suffering won't last forever. It won't be long before this generous God who has great plans for us in Christ—eternal and glorious plans they are!—will have you put together and on your feet for good. He gets the last word; yes, he does.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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