"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
Part 1
Today: We Trust in Our God for He Is Gracious!
Suffering is a fact of life on planet Earth. Physical suffering may come upon us because we live in bodies that are frail and destined to return to the dust. Suffering may come because of our own sinful tendencies. Distress may come upon us as we grieve for those we’ve lost. It is challenging for us to watch loved ones suffer and die. Then there are the everyday pressures of life, trying to make a living, feed our families, and pay the bills. Suffering can be emotional as we struggle with “feelings of inadequacy, loneliness, anger, worry, or fear”[1] (Cole). One thing is for sure we all hurt and suffer at times, and we need the Lord’s help to deal with our pain His way.
Suffering will either “make you grow bitter or grow better, depending on how you handle it”[2] (Cole).
“If you don’t learn how to handle affliction, worries, and other kinds of suffering, you will not persevere as a Christian. On the other hand, if you do learn how to handle suffering, you will grow solid through it”[3] (Cole).
Peter knows a good bit about suffering, and he offers help to God’s children in their affliction. Verses 6 through 10 of chapter 5 give us essential insights into how to handle suffering correctly.
If you want to grow in Christ through your suffering:[4]
1. Be humble (1 Peter 5:6-7).
“Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you” (1 Peter 5:6-7).
2. Resist the devil (1 Peter 5:8-9).
“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.”
3. Trust in the Sovereign God (1 Peter 5:10-11).
“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. To Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen” (1 Peter 5:10-11).
It is this third area where we will spend our time in these devotions.
As we think about the Sovereign God, trusting Him is implied from verses 6 through 11. To be genuinely humble before God shows that we trust Him. To resist the devil, we must be “steadfast in our faith.” Our faith is in the Sovereign God.
“But the God of all grace.”
Note: it’s not “a little bit of grace” that God has, and it’s not “just enough grace” that God has because the inerrant Word of God says He is “the God of all grace.”
Richard Strauss, in his lesson, “The God of All Grace,” tells us that,
“Grace is the essence of God’s being.”
“Grace is the basis of God’s actions.”
“Grace is the aim of God’s children.”
“All grace! That means He has an inexhaustible supply of good gifts which are adequate for every conceivable need and which are available to all who will receive them, regardless of their performance”[5] (Strauss).
God’s grace is something that we can never earn, and when He gives it to us, we can never repay Him for it.
“Whether it is grace for salvation, grace for sanctification, grace for service, grace for suffering, grace to keep us singing, grace to govern our speech, or grace for any other need, we experience it by believing God, believing that we need His grace, that He has enough available to help us, that He is willing to share it with us, and that it will be adequate to transform our burdens into blessings. When we truly believe, all that remains is to open our hearts to the God of all grace and receive what He has to offer. “Let us, therefore, draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may find grace to help in time of need (Hebrews 4:16).”[6] (Strauss).
We can always trust our Sovereign God to help us when we suffer because He is “the God of all grace.”
Come back tomorrow as we look at His “calling” to believers.
Quote: “The God of all grace” is the one “who in grace completes what in grace He began.… He will not let His purpose fall short of completion”[7] (JFB).
[1] Cole’s quote is from his lesson, “Growing Solid Through Suffering.” Downloaded: Sunday, August 22, 2021. From: https://bible.org/seriespage/lesson-23-growing-solid-through-suffering-1-peter-56-14.
[2] Cole, ibid.
[3] Ibid.
[4] This outline idea I have borrowed and edited from Cole, ibid.
[5] Strauss’s quote is from his lesson “The God of All Grace” in his series, “The Joy of Knowing God.” Downloaded: August 23, 2021. From: https://bible.org/seriespage/15-god-all-grace.
[6] Strauss, ibid.
[7] Jamison, Fausset, and Brown. Jamison-Fausset-Brown’s Commentary, the electronic version in eSword. 1 Peter 5:10.