1 Peter 5:8-11

1 Peter 5:8-11

Be sober-minded.  Be vigilant.  Your adversary the Devil, while roaring as a lion, walks around while seeking someone to devour.  Resist him, steadfast by faith, having known that these same kinds of sufferings are to be brought about to the community of brothers and sisters in the world.  And the God of all grace, who called you all into the eternal glory of Christ Jesus, after suffering for a little while, He Himself will restore, make firm, strengthen, and give a strong foundation.  To Him is the power to control into the ages, amen.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

Peter tells us to be sober-minded and to be vigilant.  In other words, we are to always have our faculties about us.  We should be thinking about what is going on around us.  We should be looking, analyzing, and thinking.  We should be considering our motivations.  Why should we be doing all of this?  Because the Devil is seeking people to devour.  He’s looking for people to turn away from God.  He’s looking for people in order to convince them to focus on themselves in a self-centered narcissism.  The Devil wants to turn us from a God who loves others.  We need to be vigilant indeed.

How do you remain vigilant?  When are you likely to not be vigilant?  Why are these important questions to ponder?

Second Thought:

Peter reminds us that we are not alone in suffering.  We might all have our individual suffering, but we are not alone in the suffering.  People all over the world will suffer because of their faith.  People all over the world will experience difficulty because of how they live out their faith.  Yes, we will suffer.  But there will be people around us who know what it feels like.  Because of this community and the faith that comes from God, we can endure.

From where does your hope come?  What community supports you in life when you suffer?

Third Thought:

For what do we hope?  We hope in God’s restoration.  We hope that God can strengthen us.  We hope that God can make us resolute in the face of persecution.  We hope that God can cause us to live a life that has a solid foundation.  That is what God can do with us.  That is why the suffering isn’t so bad after all.  In the end, in the age to come, God will restore life.  That is our hope.  That is why He has the power to rule.

What do you think God’s restoration will feel like?  What do you think life will be like once God’s restoration has come to us?

Passage for Tomorrow: 1 Peter 5:12-14