AFTER A WHILE -SEPTEMBER 2018
Scripture Reference 1 Peter 5: 8-11 (NKJV)
Be sober, be vigilant because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. 10But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. 11 To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.
Instant oatmeal! Instant rice! Instant potatoes! Instant access! So, the reality is that, in everything we expect instant results.
The converted Peter, set-apart apostle of Jesus, answers the call of God and greets us with grace and peace. That was necessary because Peter had a first-hand experience of the depth of persecution in the lives of believers. Grace, undeserved favor, is that which empowers us to demonstrate faith in every challenge. Jesus had the power and the opportunity to abandon the cross. Yet, grace kept us in the forefront of His mind, right to the finish. That same grace is available to those who will access it.
Besides grace we need immeasurable peace to inundate our inner man and allow us to wear Christ well. Always have a DO NOT DISTURB sign, ready at the draw. Whenever anything approaches with the intent to bring turmoil, display the sign, big and bold. This results in a hasty retreat. You may even surprise yourself as to the tranquility God gives.
Since there is nothing new under the sun. Jesus devised a plan (2 Corinthians 12:9) for us to deal with imminent trials. At times we feel frail, broken and shredded. Yet, God’s promises sustain us if we dare to believe them. We may say, “I have hope,” but when push comes to shove, that hope must kick in and brace us to press through victoriously to the end. This is not the time to lose hope, reconsider our faith, question God’s intent nor throw in the towel. Does that mean that we do not face the reality of what is? No! It means that we use all our resources to push back and wait for the rescue. (Psalm 42:11)
Troubles are woven into the fabric of life. Our responsibility is to stay close to Jesus, the Promise Keeper. A night of weeping (Psalm 30:5) may be a very long period of gloom. The term “full of troubles” (Job 14:1) describes everyone, but God is very present in trouble (Psalm 46:1). If we fail to draw from our Source of Strength, we lag like a wounded sheep and become easy prey for the devourer.
We are encouraged to: be sober, be vigilant, and resist. The saying, “drive me to drink” takes on a new meaning. For the believer, we drink from the inner well instead of trying to drown out problems with alcohol. When we are hard-pressed, and our backs are against the wall, it is time to reach deeply in our being and call the most profound name, Jesus. The true test of tenacity leads us to dependency on God. Sadly, we may shift to co-dependencies, like doubt, fear and despair. If, on the other hand, our addiction is in God’s promises, then we have an adequate supply. Sobriety results in clear, well-thought-out decisions. Under the canopy of a lucid mind we yield to an ever-present Savior. A focus on situations, clouds our thought process and renders us slaves to rash, unreasonable conclusions.
We are also told to be vigilant (watchful), so that we will not be blindsided by the ploys of the evil one. If we wait without watching, that which we expect may pass us by unawares. Our adversary does not miss a beat to plot his next move. He lurks in several avenues and alleys of discouragement, impatience and second guesses. While he is yet waiting, he foresees another strategy by which he might defeat us, but remember that the nick-of-time God always shows Himself strong on our behalf.
The devil is no-one’s friend. Beside being a master deceiver, he is a cunning impersonator. Sometimes he appears as an angel of light, a roaring lion, a convincing whisper, and a misrepresentation of scripture. Proceed with caution and depend on the Holy Spirit to expose his lies and reveal his mask. We have the power of prayer to thwart his plans. When we dislodge his mask and disrobe him, we discover that he perpetrates fraud and promises that which he cannot produce. (Matt 4:8-11)
When the devices are ratcheted up it’s an indication that we must reinforce our resistance. Then, Satan has no choice, but to run for his life (James 4:7). What does it mean to resist him? Don’t entertain, acknowledge nor maximize him. He does not like to be ignored so do just that. Identify the spirit of oppression and rebuke it. After that, invite grace and peace to take its place. The God of ALL grace for: hope, healing, believing, receiving, and overcoming—-all grace— has commissioned us to strive toward the prize called VICTORY.
After a while (subjective or relative), His glory is manifested in us. A while may entail varied periods of elapsed time. The chiseling and burning in the kiln, molding and shaping, takes time, but will produce an honorable vessel that glorifies God. After denotes that the lesson has been completed. We have passed the test and are ready for promotion to the next level. However, if we fail, we are retained to be retaught the discipline, until God deems that we are ready for graduation. Regardless of the time span, God’s promise is that He will perfect, establish, strengthen and settle us.
The process to perfect us, removes flaws and renders us complete, lacking nothing. A perfect fruit is ready to be displayed in the market. After we endure troubles, God is ready to rejoice over us and glorify Himself. May it be our goal to be presented faultless before God.
Next, He will establish us. Establish: promote, demonstrate sure-footedness; secure; anchor; affirm. When we would almost slip, He gives us hind’s feet to propel us to the right path and stabilize our confidence in HIS ability. He is the Founder of our faith.
Strengthen: replenish; reinforce; uphold; support. Our endurance may become weak and we feel as if we are about to buckle under pressure. God’s strength helps us stay the course and trust that He has good intentions for us. It takes a strong will to trust His heart, when our plans are being challenged. Now is the opportune time for God to demonstrate His strength. We can hear the skeptic say, “Who needs God when I have everything under control?”. Yet, when anyone humbly leans on Him, His strength becomes enough.
Like waves washing up on the shore, we may become unsettled, thus shaking our faith. We then lack stability in our thoughts and may easily be swayed. A cup of grain may seem to be filled to the max, but as it is shaken and settled, surprisingly, the capacity for more grain becomes evident. Similarly, when we think we can’t take anymore, He settles us and gives us more grace.
When dirt is mixed with water the suspension that is formed is dark and dense. Unstable thoughts may do this to us. After a while, the mud settles to the bottom of the container and clear water is seen at the top. That’s what Jesus wants to do for us. If we endure, we will eventually realize the purpose for the pain.
“…after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you….” The process cannot be force-fed. Impatience will cause us to try to hasten God’s hand. (Genesis 16:1-5). The product will be dishonorable, blighted, mildewed, and eventually discarded.
Finally, in life’s great school, we keep progressing to the next test until He says, “Welcome home, good and faithful servant.” It behooves us therefore, to pass each test by immersing ourselves into His grace. The dependable God demonstrates that troubles are a means of producing closeness, honor and glory to Him. Regardless of the span of time for a while, time MUST pass, before we are perfected, established, strengthened and settled.