DEVOTION – DAY 462

1 Peter 5:10 “God Will Restore Us”

1 Peter 5:10 “And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.”

In 1 Peter 5:8-9, the apostle Peter warned that the Devil was prowling around waiting to devour someone. Peter encouraged everyone to resist the Devil and stand firm in their faith, for suffering is a common occurrence. In the end, the God of all grace will come to restore those who are suffering. Their suffering would not be lasting. God would restore His people and make them strong, firm and steadfast. This is a comforting thought that even in the midst of present suffering, Christians have the hope and assurance that their suffering will end at some point in time because the God of all grace would restore them and make them strong once again.

We know someone who fell into the temptation of quick and easy money, by using her credit cards to support a lifestyle she could not afford. She faced peer pressure to try out new restaurants, to have the latest smartphone – a lifestyle that her salary could not support. Before long, she found herself in a credit card debt situation. She prayed to God and she sought help and advice from her church elders. She had to make drastic changes to her lifestyle, and make deep cuts in her spending patterns. She began to have savings from her earnings for the first time. She used her savings to pay off her credit card debts as fast as possible. She also appealed to the bank that issued her the credit cards to temporarily waive the interest so that she could clear her debts. The bank agreed to a temporary waiver and this gave her time to settle her debts. 

Looking back, she realized it was a difficult time for her. She had to live on a strict and small budget for many months. She was thankful that the God of all grace gave her the strength and determination to settle her debt crisis. She was grateful that her church elders also supported her with their prayers and wise counsel. She was also grateful that her job was stable and that she had bonuses that helped towards the repayment of her debts. Today, she is a wiser person who is much more disciplined about using her credit cards. She is also able to offer advice to help others who had fallen into temptation, and ended up in a debt situation like she was before. God has restored her, and her own suffering is at an end. Her restoration did not happen immediately but God is faithful and she was restored.

Let us pray: Heavenly Father, we worship you as our God of all grace. Thank you for giving us the strength and hope even as we face a time of suffering. Please help us to endure and emerge victorious whenever we suffer for your glory. We pray in the precious name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Questions:

1. Do you see your sufferings as an opportunity to depend upon God, or do you get stressed out and worried when you suffer? 
2. How has God restored you when you had suffered in the past? Share.
3. How does having the God of all grace on your side gives you hope when you face your trials and sufferings? Share.
4. What are some sufferings you have experienced as a result of falling into some kind of temptation and sin? Share.