Stand Firm – Week One

This year more times than I can count, God brought one particular verse to mind. The month before our country went into lockdown mode, I taught the children at church our memory verse. Most of the time, I know the passage, but this one was new and just the truth I needed to remember for 2020. “God will restore you and make you strong, firm, and steadfast.” (I Peter 5:10 NIV)

In November, I rented a cabin with a deck and a mountain view. As I sat rocking and reflecting, I realized that instead of strong, firm, and steadfast, unsteady would be a better description of my life for much of this year. I allowed my expectations and disappointments to drive my emotions and reactions, which is a dangerous path. Some days, I wanted to quit. Other days, I avoided things I needed to confront. Many days, I found my head spinning, and my heart growing bitter. 

But in all that, I see God at work. He is taking me deeper and offering me a better way. My new verse, 1 Peter 5:10, was not written to people who have it all together or find themselves in the ideal circumstances. Instead, it addresses those who are suffering and persecuted. It was not a statement of how easy life is, but of how strong our God is. 

Let’s back up and look at the context. Earlier in that same chapter, Peter challenges the readers to humble themselves under God’s mighty hand. He is reminding us that our God is all-powerful. Nothing escapes His notice or is outside of His control. But it takes humility to place ourselves in His care. A more natural reaction is to fight, figure out, or find our own way. 

So, what does it look like to entrust ourselves to God’s hand? 

1. We look with expectation toward the future. Peter explains that when we place our future in God’s hands, He will exalt us in the proper time. What we are facing today won’t last forever. Our current situation is not the defining factor of life – our relationship to our God is. 
   
   If I am not careful, I find myself swirling internally. I work myself into a frenzy and see my future in worst-case scenarios. Instead of assuming the best in others, I see their negative qualities. Instead of rest, I worry and fret about things I cannot change or control. 
   
   But God offers us a much better way. I love the description of a woman who follows God found in Proverbs 31 – she smiles at the future. Trusting God manifests in hopefulness. Instead of negative thoughts, we believe for good things and a positive outcome. We replace fear with rest, anxiety with peace, and negativity with expectation. 
   
   
2. We confidently place our concerns in God’s hands. Too often, we try to pretend we are okay when we are not. We act like we have it all together, and we push our emotions to the side. But God never asks us to ignore our concerns. Instead, He invites us to place those concerns in His hands, knowing that He loves and cares for us. 
   
   The Psalmist paints a beautiful picture of resting in God’s care. “My heart is not proud, Lord, my eyes are not haughty; I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me. But I have calmed and quieted myself, I am like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child I am content.” (Psalm 131:1-2) Just like a baby is confident and secure in his mother’s care, we can be sure and safe in God’s care for us. 
   
   
3. We are aware of our enemy. Peter warns us that the devil prowls around like a lion, looking for someone to destroy. Just as God desires good things for us, our enemy wants to ruin us. While God is unlimited in His power, the devil’s control is limited. He has to find vulnerabilities or open doors. 
   
   We cannot forget that this world and our mind is a battlefield. Not everything we think is good, right, or accurate. To trust God with our whole heart, we need to be wise and discerning. We need to pay attention and be on our guard.

Listen again to I Peter 5:10 (this time the entire verse), “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.” Peter confirms the reality we know – suffering is taking place all over the world. But this suffering is not the end.

That day, rocking on a porch in Tennessee, God reminded me of this truth and challenged me to steady myself in Him. When I look for strength in what I can see and control, I set myself up for disappointment, confusion, and failure. But when I look to God and His purpose, I find real strength.

No matter what life brings, we can trust our God. Despite what our circumstances tell us, we can find hope and choose faith. As we look to 2021, friends, let’s commit to stand firm, dig deep, and not give up!