Be alert and of sober mind. 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 the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. 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. -1 Peter 5:9-10 (NIV)
Rarely a week goes by that someone doesn't come to me with a serious problem with which they're struggling. Many feel as if there is a black cloud hovering over them: they feel overwhelmed by the storms of life and they wonder if better days (the sun) will ever come again. They question how to keep the faith and how to persevere during difficult days.
I wish that I could just snap my fingers and make the dark clouds dissipate but it isn't always so easy. But Peter does give some helpful advice in the suggested scripture readings for today. Be alert and of sober mind, which I interpret to mean that we are to be watchful, ready to act, and clear in our thinking. Be mindful that there are things which cloud our judgment and reason that make God's restoration difficult. We should seek to resist evil in whatever way it presents itself and this is best done by staying disciplined and standing firm in faith, realizing that there are other good people who are undergoing suffering of every kind, and claiming the promise that God will one day restore us and make us strong, firm and steadfast. And perhaps even more important is to remember that God will one day grant us an eternal glory where suffering and struggling will be no more.
So many of you reading this devotional today are struggling with major life issues. May God grant you the grace to be alert, of clear mind, and ready to act. May God strengthen you to stand firm in your faith and may you find comfort in knowing that your restoration is coming and that God's eternal glory will be revealed.
If you're interested in reading through the Bible in a year, tomorrow's readings are Isaiah 50-52, Psalm 92, and 2 Peter 1.
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