Restoration (Plus!)

[This is from Saturday, 10/18/08]

"Resist (the devil), steadfast in your faith, for you know that your brothers and sisters in all the world are undergoing the same kinds of suffering. And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, support, strengthen, & establish you."

(1 Peter 5:9-10)

The author is encouraging the believers to resist the temptations of the devil. I'm guessing this can be both personal temptations to sin, as well as the temptation to abandon (or give up on) God when times get rough.

What I love about these verses is the very end. After a little while, the writer promises, God Himself will restore, support, strengthen & establish us. By the very definition, "restore" acknowledges that we'll have slipped, stumbled or fallen in our faith. But God is a god of multiple chances! When we turn to Him, He will restore us! Praise God!! But temptation is temptation... and it's not a "one time only" affair. Quite often, we are tempted repeatedly. Left on our own, we'll fail again. God knows that. So God helps support & strengthen us. God gives us relationships, counseling, accountability, encouragement, and resources to help keep us on the right path. We have to be humble enough (and willing) to accept this, however. As we do, God then works to establish us in His goodness & grace.

The great thing about God is that He knows us better than we know ourselves. He knows not only "human nature," but our own foibles, weaknesses, tendencies, & strengths. He knows we'll be tempted & tested by life's challenges & sins. But through it all, God provides a means by which we can regain our strength when we've fallen. And hopefully, by the next time we face those same temptations, we'll be better able to resist.

Prayer: Thank you for your patience, grace, forgiveness, mercy, and support, Lord... as I struggle to be the person you have called & created me to be. AMEN.