Day 40: After a Little While

Read: 1 Peter 5:6-10

 1 Peter 5 | NIV Bible | YouVersion


Jesus warns us that the Christian life is not a bed of roses.  In fact, He prepares us by saying, if He suffered, how much more will His followers suffer.  He knows the enemy Satan is alive and well, and looking for his next victim.  Peter describes him as a roaring lion seeking out his next prey.  So, of course, sooner or later, he’s going to come after you.

But Jesus also promises us, “After you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and He will place you on a firm foundation.”  If we look at our season of suffering as time spent in the desert, we must realize that the purpose of the desert is not to get through it as quickly as possible, although when we’re in the desert, that’s exactly what we’re thinking.  “Let me out of here, and fast!”

When we moved to our home in Kapolei, on the Ewa Plain, we were surprised to see desert plants, cacti and succulents growing on the roadside.  We didn’t realize that parts of Hawaii are dry and desert-like.  When it came time to put in our yard, we decided to plant those types of plants, so we wouldn’t always be struggling to water plants that thrive on plenty of moisture.  Cacti and succulents thrive in the desert because they hoard water, storing it up inside their thick leaves and stems.

When we find ourselves in a desert season, we need to behave like these drought-resistant plants.  The point is to draw close to God, to become a “hoarder” of His Word, just as every living thing in the desert is a hoarder of water.  We drink in every little drop we can get, and we store it away.  We might be tempted to escape or avoid the desert.  But we can’t trade His truth for the temporary relief we may find in happier times.  We need, instead to trust His timing, and cling tightly to His Word, squeezing out every last drop of goodness, storing it away to ponder and meditate, finding its life-giving refreshment in the midst of our dryness.

Today, is Saturday, the day after Good Friday.  Jesus may be dead and in the tomb, but remember: after a little while, Sunday is coming!

 

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