6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, 7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. 8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. 10 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. 11 To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen. 1 Peter 5:6–11

If anyone in the Bible understood suffering, it was Peter. His suffering began early, as a disciple wrestling with his faith—denying Jesus three times and carrying that heavy burden. He then watched his perfect Savior, Jesus Christ, hang on a cross and die for his sins.

After Jesus’s death, Peter hid in fear for his life, unsure of what to do next. Later, ended up in Rome as a prisoner, where he was persecuted, beaten and thrown into jail because of his unwavering faith and obedience to reach as many people for Christ as possible. Eventually he was sentenced to death and crucified. Yet he asked to be hung upside down, believing he was unworthy to die the same way as his Savior.

So, when Peter said in verse 10, “And after you have suffered a little while,” he was speaking from experience. But perhaps when he said, “a little while,” he meant this life itself is just a little while—a tiny blip, a small speck of time compared to the glory we will experience for eternity with our Savior.
Verse 10 is both a promise and a reminder. When we are physically and emotionally depleted, it reminds us that our suffering has an end. The Enemy works hard to make us forget, in the midst of our pain, that we have hope in Jesus—and He has already won the battle. By His grace and mercy, we are saved from all of our sins and from all of our suffering.

Peter then lists four things that God will do when He calls us to His eternal glory: He will restore us, confirm us, strengthen us and establish us.

God will restore you. Restoration will come, God is the ultimate and only Restorer—and He has promised it. For some, restoration will come in this life. For others, full restoration will be waiting on the other side. But for all of us, restoration can’t come soon enough.

Suffering takes many forms, and the Enemy is at the root of all pain and sorrow. Yet what he has stolen, God will restore. This we know for certain: one day, when God calls us to His eternal glory, all our suffering and pain will end, and we will be restored to perfection. Until then, God continues to give us exactly what we need to keep fighting the good fight.

God will confirm you. Our confirmation does not come from this world, nor from the people or things of this world. Though we constantly seek the approval of others and try to fill the gaps with temporary things, they will never truly satisfy. The only one who can fully and finally confirm us is our heavenly Father, who loves us unconditionally.

We wait with anticipation, and sometimes we suffer along the way. But He promises to reward those who have suffered and endured many trials for the sake of the gospel. I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait for the day when He looks at me and says, “Well done, daughter!” What a confirmation that will be!

God will strengthen you. How tired and weary are you feeling today? I know I am tired. I didn’t sleep well. I woke up drenched in sweat not once, but twice. I am jet-lagged, and all I want to do is press pause on the world for just one day.

We’ve all been tired and weary at some point. Painful circumstances and trials wear us down. Sometimes we want to throw up our hands and say, “Ok, Lord, I’m done!”

Peter knew this well. He understood what it was like to be tired, weak, unprepared and unequipped. But God gave him the strength to carry on—and He will restore our strength too.

We may feel weak now, but by God’s grace we will keep standing firm, fighting against the evil in this world. And one day, we will have an eternity of strength that will never fail. Praise God for that!

Isaiah 40:29 says, “He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.”

God will establish you. The Greek word for establish in this text is themelios, which means “to lay a foundation.” It is significant that Peter uses this language to encourage his fellow brothers and sisters. Jesus himself gave Peter his name—Petros, meaning “rock” in Greek—and in Matthew 16:18 said, “And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”

Jesus used Peter, the rock, to lay the foundation for the church that would eventually spread throughout the world. Likewise, when we follow God’s will for our lives, He establishes us. He lays a firm foundation so we can remain grounded in the gospel in order to advance the gospel throughout Jacksonville and beyond.

We never imagined that The Church of Eleven22 would reach millions of people worldwide. Yet God laid a firm foundation in 2012 at San Pablo and Beach Boulevard, and hundreds of people responded, “Ok, God, use us to reach as many people as possible!”

Other translations use the word “settle” instead of “establish,” God will settle you. What happens when foundations are laid, and houses are built? Over time—the foundations settle—with the settling come cracks and imperfections. It may not be perfect, and there may be flaws along the way, but God equips us with everything we need to be firmly established in Christ, no matter what lies ahead.

Psalm 40:2 says, “He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure.”

Following Jesus Christ and knowing His plans for us isn’t always easy—and we will fall often. But we hold to a hope that never fails, a promise that will never be broken and a future that is eternal. As John 16:33 reminds us: “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world, you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

Heavenly Father, I pray You will restore our hearts, confirm our minds, strengthen our souls and establish our feet wherever You want them planted. Remind us that this suffering is temporary, and in the midst of it we can find You there. In the midst of the trials, You strengthen us. In the midst of the pain, You restore us. And in the midst of the uncertainty, You confirm us. Amen