December 19.
Suffering Spawns Strength

1 Peter 5:10

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.

He will strengthen you. This means that God will make you forceful. Forceful means that you can stand through storms.

But you can also hold on when other stuff comes up on you. When stuff unexpected shows up in your life, you don’t give way. When death invades your family you can walk to the grave and say absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. When sickness shows up and the doctor says you won’t make it you can say weeping may endure for a night but joy will come in the morning. You need to be able to stand when adversity is pushing against you. When lies keep coming. When back biters keep back biting. When sickness keeps showing up. When jobs keep closing down. When money keeps running out. Whatever comes up on me, I’m not in this thing all by myself.

Settle you. It makes you fixed. I don’t care what happens, I’m not going to turn God down. I don’t care how dark it gets, I’m fixed with the Lord. It doesn’t make any difference if He doesn’t answer any more prayers. I’ve decided that I’m going to hold on to God’s unchanging hand. I have decided the road may be rough and the going may get tough; the hills may be hard to climb, but I started out a long time ago and there is no doubt in my mind. I’ve decided to make Jesus my choice and since I know and I am convinced that he cares for me, I can cast all my cares up on him. Lord I’m not worried.

If you are a little weak right now and the devil is after you, let Isaiah 40:31 take hold. They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as an eagle; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. His strength is made perfect in your weakness. He will strengthen you through suffering.