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. 1 Peter 5:10 ESV

During the time Peter wrote this letter, Roman Emperor Nero was violently persecuting Christians – even feeding them to lions.

Because of the suffering Christians were facing, Peter encouraged the followers of Christ their suffering is but for “a little while” (v10) compared to the “eternal glory” (v10) they receive through Christ.

Even today we find ourselves, both as individuals and as the whole body of Christ, facing threats to our Christian beliefs.  As each day passes, modern day Christians in America find themselves as a minority voice against the loud roar of the anti-Christian crowd.  It seems inevitable we will one day find ourselves stripped of all our Biblical principles and possibly even denied access to our Bibles.  Although our struggles in America, as real and as important as they are, can in no way compare to the suffering of Christians around the world, all of us can find comfort in the Word of God given through Peter in this letter.

As Peter reminded those early Christians, so we can be reminded, no matter the struggle or suffering we face, it is Christ Himself who:
Restores all the enemy has stolen from our lives
Confirms the purpose of His calling for us
Strengthens us through the trials we face
Establishes His testimony in our lives through our suffering

Ultimately, we should remember our suffering is but for a moment and our completed hope is the eternal glory we have been given through the sufferings of Jesus Christ on the Cross.

Be sure to get your #SoulDeep Journal and Daily Scripture Reading plan and join us in reading His Word daily

A special thank you to Sweet to the Soul for partnering with Real Women Ministries to provide this month’s reading plan and journal

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