“Be of sober spirit, be on the alert your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world. After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.”   

I Peter 5:8 – 10 (NAS)

Lunch, anyone? Have you ever encountered a totally unreasonable person? The kind who make you feel like they just had lunch and you were the main course. Who hasn’t, right? I have found myself in situations, more often than I’d like, where I have to keep quiet and endure some pretty demeaning statements, irrational outbursts, and personal attacks. After these confrontations, I am left with an unsettled spirit, bad feelings, and lots of stress to say the least.

Lucky for me, I came across this scripture after one of these situations. Then, I realized – sometimes unhappy people are just prowling around looking for something to devour…too bad it had to be me! Quickly, I am reminded that through strength given by God we are able to resist being provoked by these people and stand firm in our faith. 

Safety in numbers! This passage further reminds us that we are not alone. Other people in the world are having the same frustrating experiences. That’s right – no matter how big or how small the issue is, other people are going through the same trials as you! I don’t know about you, but that makes me feel better. No one likes to suffer alone. I am somehow able to pull through difficult times when I know others have endured and survived similar things. 

This too shall pass … What a comfort to know that by the grace of God suffering does come to an end. He will perfect you and strengthen you as a result of your suffering. We are all an accumulation of the choices we make and the events that shape our lives. As I grow and mature, I can see how each challenge I faced helped shape me into the person I am today – whether it was the time I turned all of our laundry pink after we first got married or when the pipe busted while I was home alone or the many times another person made me feel less than I am or the day I sent my child off to college or as I faced a family member’s illness and death, these sufferings are a part of life.  

I have a friend and coworker who posted on her computer, “If God brings you to it, He’ll bring you through it!” That sums up this passage.

So, what can I do? We know there are pains we must endure, but how do we get through this suffering? Read the two verses just before the passage listed above. I Peter 5:6-7 tells us: “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.”

The next time you are faced with an adversary eagerly waiting to devour you or when someone “has you for lunch,” cast your cares on Him and you will be comforted and rewarded in due time – His time.