Pleasing God, Making Disciples of Jesus Christ

Only For A Short Season

1 PETER 5:10-11 – 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. To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

THEME OF THE DAY. ONLY FOR A SHORT SEASON. I think everyone goes through this. At least, there are times in my life I do and I know those closest to me feel it also. It really isn’t true, but feelings make it seem true. Before I share the “thing” we all go through, just a few words on feelings. They are dangerous and deceptive; never reliable. They are like the ocean tides that ebb and flow; like the wind always changing directions, and like seas tossed to and fro. One minute we are up, and then, out of nowhere, the high becomes a low. We go from exhilaration about something to deep discouragement over something else in no time flat.

But there is something else we experience that is driven by feelings. It is our perspective when suffering comes into our lives. When in the midst of its grips whether physical, emotional, or spiritual, it feels like forever. It feels like our suffering has “eternal life” and will never end. We easily become David-like crying out to God his words, “How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?” (Psalm 13:1-2). And there are a couple of reasons why this perspective in suffering may easily come upon us.

First, we are creatures who crave comfort and living pain-free. Nothing wrong with this for God created us for such a life, but the Garden of Eden altered that. Sin brought all forms of pain and suffering into the human experience. We cannot escape it no matter what we try to do to alleviate pain and suffering. It will not go away in this life. And the reason why we lose perspective on pain and suffering because, though fallen, we still maintain the desire for comfort and ease. The problem is we forget the sin issue and that in this life, we won’t ever know a pain-free and suffering-free life.

Another reason why we struggle with pain and suffering is because we forget today’s scripture. All our pain, all our suffering, all our disappointments, all our discouragements, and all our dysfunctions in this life are of short duration. Really. They are. Oh, I know none of them feel like it when in the depths, but they really are. Why? God says so, “After you have suffered a little while” and because we are only on this planet for a few years. And the older we get, the more we affirm life really is of short duration.

Perspective is everything and especially when dark seasons of suffering come upon us. May God help us to see them in light of eternity and the sufficiency of His grace to help us endure. In doing so, we will be shining testimonies of His sustaining power and grace as we endure suffering and pain for a short season.

PRAYER: “Father, help me to look at all that happens in my life through the lens of eternity.”

QUOTE: “Don’t let the world, flesh, and devil cloud your view to the brevity of life and a soon arriving heaven.”