1 Peter 5 Devotional

The God Who Restores the Weary

“And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore you, secure you, strengthen you, and establish you.”1 Peter 5:10 (BSB)

Peter writes as a fellow elder and a witness of Christ's sufferings (5:1). He urges the church's leaders to shepherd God's flock willingly and humbly, not for money or power, because the Chief Shepherd will appear and give them a crown that never fades (5:2-4). Then he calls everyone, young and old, to put on humility toward one another, because God opposes the proud and gives grace to the humble (5:5).

Humility here is not grim self-effort. It means coming under God's mighty hand and throwing every anxiety onto him, because he cares for you (5:6-7). The devil is real and prowls like a lion (5:8), and believers everywhere face the same kinds of suffering (5:9). But the last word belongs to the God of all grace. After a little while of suffering, he himself will restore, secure, strengthen, and establish his people (5:10). Peter calls this the true grace of God and tells them to stand firm in it (5:12). You can stand because he is the one holding you up.

To think about: What anxiety are you still carrying alone that you could hand over to the God who cares for you?