The Little While

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.

1 Peter  5:10

...but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

Romans 5:3-5

After a hard day, one night last week I went to bed begging that the Lord would give me the strength and endurance needed to endure the "little while."  I don't know what my "little while" is.  Sometimes I think about it in terms of this very intense season of grief and suffering.  Sometimes I think about it in terms of the time I have left here on this Earth.  Either way, in the grand scale of eternity, it truly is a little while.

And that is comforting.

Not only is the idea of it being a "little while" comforting, I am moved to thanksgiving when I think about the promises the Lord gives in the 1 Peter verse above.  

The God of all grace will restore me.

The God of all grace will confirm me.

The God of all grace will strengthen me.

The God of all grace will establish me.

And my heart continues to be thankful as I read in the Romans 5 verse that the very endurance I need to endure the suffering, the suffering is producing!  And the suffering is like a seed planted that sprouts lots of beautiful things, the last of which is listed being hope.  PRAISE GOD!

He has not left me, and He never will.  The God of all-sufficient grace is providing hope, and endurance, and strength, and restoration.

I've told a lot of people that I'm in a season where I have never been more grateful for the Lord's promises.  This unwanted grief has produced a huge gratitude that the Lord really does provide for us what we need - I just need to believe Him, take Him at His word.

I've never been more thankful for the Lord's promises of peace and comfort and joy and abundant life, for those who trust in Him, than I am right now.  Because I see now that, in the depths of despair, this is what my heart longs for.  It doesn't long for money, or a particular dress size, or a problem-free life.  To steal a phrase from my pastor Matt, those are not "warm blankets to the soul."  But God's promises absolutely are.

Second Peter 1:3 says "His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence."  Dear friends, I pray you get to know this amazing God who is good and faithful - He always keeps His word.

Therefore, I have an unshakeable confidence that I will make it through my "little while."