August 1, 2019
Today’s Promise
God Uses My Suffering
1 Peter 5:10
After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.
No one wants to suffer, but suffering is often part of life.
We live in a fallen world, and sometimes pain comes along. God never promised we would never suffer, but He does promise that He will use our suffering for a purpose.
“The path of obedience is often marked by times of suffering and loss.” – Chuck Swindoll
When an unbeliever goes through suffering, it is without hope. For the Christian, we know our suffering is perfecting us. We can rejoice in our suffering because we know God is using it for good in our life.
God doesn’t bring you suffering, but He does allow suffering. He uses suffering to do four things in your life.
To Perfect You
God wants to restore what sin has taken away. He uses suffering to complete you so you can be more like Christ.
To Confirm You
This word means to “set in place or fix firmly.” Suffering confirms your faith in Christ. Suffering builds your confidence in God and His care for you.
To Strengthen You
You never know God is your strength until you have to call on Him. God strengthens you through your suffering to meet the demands of the day.
To Establish You
God sets the foundation in your life. Before a builder begins construction, he lay a foundation. The strength of the building lies in the foundation. Once tested through suffering, you will not be tossed about by everything that comes along. You are grounded in your faith in Christ.
Finally, we know suffering won’t last forever.
The pain of childbirth is forgotten when a mother sees her newborn baby. Our suffering is nothing compared to the incredible glory found in Christ.
Let’s look at that promise one more time.
After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you. – 1 Peter 5:10
Confess this with me.
My suffering won’t last forever.
I can rejoice in my suffering because God will use it.
He is perfecting and confirming me.
He is strengthening me and will establish me.
My suffering is minimal compared to the glory of knowing Christ.
In Jesus Name,
Amen
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How has God used suffering in your life?
I sure needed this today!