I 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."
Have you ever seen the television show Wipeout? It's where contestants go through a brutal obstacle course, with traps and distractions thrown at them along the way, in hopes that they will stumble, take longer to finish, and possibly even give up. We've watched it a number of times, and it's not uncommon to see at least one contestant make it all the way to the finals, only to give up because they can't seem to overcome the challenging course. Now, don't get me wrong, if I were a contestant, I would probably give up in the first round. It's a brutal way to win money, being punched in the face with obstacles, catapulted through the sky into raging waters, jumping from platform to platform while cement is poured on you. Yes, those are just a few of the things the contestants have to overcome. Bottom line, the one with the best time in the final wins $50,000. It's quite the entertaining show, but as I started to think about the verse to focus on this week, it's also a good parallel to life.
To understand the verse to memorize for this week a little better, I want to back up to verses eight and nine. Peter says "Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings." Then verse ten, "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."
Sometimes this life we live is just like Wipeout. Satan is throwing distractions at our life, trying to mess up our secure footing, trying to get our eyes off the prize, even trying to make us give up. We may get hit with satan's cement, making it feel like we're stuck and can't keep moving forward. We may get catapulted into the raging waters and feel like we're alone out there. But the Bible says we need to have self control and be alert and aware that he's out there trying to attack. He would want nothing more than for a Christian to give up on their calling to follow Christ. He wants nothing more than to wipeout a Christian.
But verse nine says we should resist him and stand firm in our faith. It also reminds us that there are other Christians going through this same struggles that we're facing. Of course God is there to help us get through tough times, but He also gives us Christian friends for support and encouragement!
Then the verse to memorize for this week, verse ten. After we've suffered a little while, God will restore us and make us strong, firm and steadfast. How encouraging is that? Yes, we may go through some sufferings, satan may even throw some pretty difficult obstacles our way and try to wipe us out, but God promises that He will give us the strength to finish the course. He puts our feet on a rock and gives us a firm foundation! (PSalm 40:2)
Are you facing spiritual wipeout today? Are you wanting to give up? Remember these verses as you memorize this week. Be alert and ready to stand against the attacks of satan. Rely on the Godly friends that God has placed in your life. And don't forget that God is going to help you get through the course. You can't do it by yourself, it's only through His power that you will have the strength you need. No, I'm determined I will not wipeout for God. How about you?
---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com