Our scripture this morning is 1 Peter 5:6-9.
So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. Stay alert! 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.
Peter reminds us that the enemy is always waiting for an opportunity to distract us and divert us from the work we are called to do. He encourages us to “stand firm against him and be strong in your faith”. Only by repenting and putting our trust in the Lord can we be saved.
We read “give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares about you”, a promise we can always count on. Jesus told us of this care in Matthew 6:31-33 and it is also spoken of in Psalms 55:22. God is always there for us, ready to forgive and refresh us when we come to Him.
Finally we hear that the “family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are”. This shared burden of the world’s opposition should make our faith stronger, remembering Christ’s statement “If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first” – John 15:18. Jesus called us to follow Him even when the way is difficult. We know we can rely on His love and strength to sustain us.
Gracious God, we are thankful for all Your many gifts to us. Help us to be the people we are called to be, sharing Your love and the joy of redemption with all the world. Amen.
