Apr 04 2021

But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.

In this verse from 1 Peter, we are reminded that the suffering we face each day will soon come to an end. At the time the verse was written people were often martyred for their faith, just as people in some parts of the world today are martyred for their faith. Even if your suffering does not take this form, the Christian's life is difficult, and it can be easy to become weary. Peter's words are a comfort to us today.

Peter calls God "the God of all grace." This serves as a reminder that the Lord is full of grace, and our suffering does not change that. Clear evidence of this grace is the fact that He has called us unto "his eternal glory." We will enjoy His presence forever—a gift we could never have earned ourselves, but nevertheless are the beneficiaries of.

After we have suffered, the verse says that God will make us perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle us. That's a lot of promises! Making us perfect means that God will continue to sanctify us; suffering evidently plays a part in helping us live holy lives. Establish means that we will be rooted and grounded in the Lord. Strengthen means that the Lord will make us strong in Him, giving us the ability to follow Him, even when it becomes difficult. Settle means that we will have peace. Even if our own suffering may seem unbearable, we can remember that it is pointing to something better if we endure it unto the Lord.

Remember that God does not look down on us when we suffer. He is not watching us with indifference or wishing that we would endure it more faithfully. Much to the contrary, He stepped into suffering for our sake. He did not sit and watch; rather, He came to Earth and died on a cross for us. He endured tremendous suffering so that one day we could experience eternal glory in Him.

Dear Lord, thank you for the promise of eternal glory. I look forward to the day when I will rest in your Kingdom perfectly forever. Thank you for being with me and guiding me every moment of my life. Thank you for your precious love. In Jesus' name, amen.

Apr 03 2021

Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established. :

In this verse from Proverbs, we are told that when we commit our actions to the Lord, our thoughts (also translated as plans will be established). This means when we focus on the Lord first and foremost, we will receive the direction that we need in our lives.

Do you ever have questions or anxiety about the future? I have, and many people I know have as well. Most of the time, however, even if we don't know what's down the road next month or five years from now, there are still actions we can take today… things we can do in this moment. This might be something as simple as fixing a meal, doing a daily Bible study, or taking regular walks.

Nothing is too simple to be committed to the Lord. Focus on what you have right in front of you and commit those things to the Lord.

What does it mean to commit your work to the Lord? It simply means that you do your work as if you are doing it for Him. For example, take care of your home as if it were the Lord's residence. Do what your boss asks you to do as if the Lord were asking you to do it. Make God the direct beneficiary of everything you do because it is He who makes it possible for you to do these things.

When we get into the habit of working unto the Lord, we will develop intimacy with Him. Because we are communing with Him over everyday tasks we will be speaking to Him continuously. We begin to see our work—even something as simple as doing the dishes—as holy. We develop trust in the Lord because our eyes are opened to how He has met our needs.

Also, the Lord will establish our plans. In other words, while we should plan and think about the future, we do not have to worry about veering off course of His plan or missing out on His will. If we bring our questions to the Lord, He will provide direction that protects us from missing out on anything He wants for us. When we focus on what is in front of us today, He will guide us for the rest of our days… and we can simply revel in knowing Him.

Dear Lord, please help us commit our work to you. Sometimes we may forget that you care about everything, including things we find mundane or tedious, and we lose sight of the fact that everything is holy. Help us to honor you in everything we do. In Jesus name, amen.


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