1 Peter 5:6-11
Therefore, humble yourselves under God’s powerful hand so that he may lift you up at the appointed time. Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you. Have sound judgment. Be alert. Your adversary, the Devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Resist him by being firm in the faith. You know that the same kinds of sufferings are being laid on your brotherhood all over the world. After you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who called you into his eternal glory in Christ Jesus, will himself restore, establish, strengthen, and support you. To him be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.
Dear Heavenly Father,
Too often, we see humility as a weakness. The humble person, who cares for others, appears to be overrun by the world. Our culture claims this notion of strength in humility as counterintuitive. It wants to encourage us to stand up for ourselves; it is the strong person that survives this harsh world. But you would have us humble ourselves and love others so you can lift us up; our focus is not on how great we are but on how great you make us. When we look to ourselves to achieve a means in this world, our pride can get the best of us. The Devil is looking for our weakest link to exploit to find the least expected point of attack. However, by remaining grounded in Christ and his life, death, and resurrection, we have the ultimate strength to defeat the Devil because Christ has already defeated him for us. We are not alone in the evil three’s—the Devil, the world, and our own sinful flesh—trials and temptations. Christians from all over the world, and of all time, have suffered from their attacks, as we do. Our ultimate strength is in our death; when this life is done, the fight is over; it is our victory. We are reunited with you in heaven for the rest of forever, all because of Jesus. Amen
Pastor Roger Emmons
We reiterate Peter’s words: “To God be the glory and power forever and ever. Amen.”