His Love Alone

In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation. All power to him forever! Amen.

—1 Peter 5:10-11 (NLT)

 

 

Our lives are not the same as they were several months ago. An unseen evil has descended upon us. Unrest and heartbreak are everywhere. Lives are in shreds. People are hurting needing healing and restoration. Each day brings more sadness. People want someone to hear them. Even though some listen, others mock. There seems to be no clear direction—no answer for a world out of control.

 

God answered long ago when there was no healing for sin. In His kindness, God sent His Son into the world to save it—not to condemn it. Jesus Christ took the sin of humanity to the Cross, and sin died with Him. His unconditional love is real for all who believe in Him. His healing is genuine. His promise of eternity is tangible.

 

In these two verses from 1 Peter 5, Peter encourages believers who are suffering. He tells them that after they have suffered a little while, God will support, strengthen, and restore them. 

 

“Stay alert!” Peter writes. “Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are” (1 Peter 5:8-9, NLT)

 

We are not alone in our suffering. Others suffer, too. But we must be vigilant and realize that pain makes us more vulnerable to the lies of the enemy. We must stand firm in our faith to refute the lies that the enemy slings—the rumors he stirs up—the tactics he uses to divide and destroy. Faith in Christ gives us the power to realize deception, but we must exercise our faith. 

 

Does this mean that we become like the world—loud and brash and demanding? No. We love with the grace of Jesus, who gave His life. We forgive as He has forgiven us. We humble ourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time, He will raise us and use us.

 

“Give all your worries and cares to God,” Peter writes, “for he cares about you" (I Peter 5:7, NLT). God cares that our lives are in turmoil.  But we cannot fix anything. If we are not careful, we can fuel unrest with assumptions and innuendos. Don’t believe the first thing you hear or read on social media. You can jump on the bandwagon of lies, or you can wait for the truth. God will handle your worries and cares, but you must give them to Him. Jesus takes care of those who believe in Him.

 

We walk by faith in this world that is out of control because we have a secure foundation in Jesus. Nothing is out of control to God. God supports and strengthens and restores us. He longs for His children to draw those who do not believe. God wishes no one to perish but yearns for all to know Him. And you do not attract anyone to the grace of Jesus without living the graciousness of His Spirit. The love of Christ alone heals a broken world.

 

©2020 Lynn Lacher

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