Good morning,

Our devotion for today comes from 1 Peter 5:9-11 "Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhoos in the world. But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Jesus the Christ, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settles you.  To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen." 

Wherever you are today, meditate on this; even lying in your bed, you can feel the stress tightening your neck.  You slump down deeper into the covers, curling up, covering your head with your sheet.  The last thing you want to do is get up and face the problems which assailed you.  What is the point?  It seems like everything you have tried has backfired and that there is utterly no solution for your delimmas.

There is hope.  First Peter 5:10 promises, "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 (mature), confirm, strengthen and establish you.  Though it feels like your foundation has been shaken and nothing is secure, you can be confident that God is working on your behalf to perfect, confirm, strenghten, and establish you.  Unfortunately, He can only work these things in you through pain, for suffering is the most effective of all education.

Frank C. Laubach explains, "There is a deep peace that grows out of illness and loneliness and a sense of failure.  God cannot get close when everything is delightful.  He seems to need these darker hours, these empty hearted hours, to mean the  most to people."  Do not despair.  God is doing something wonderful within you. 

Have a blessed wonderful day!

Your brother in Christ,

J. H. Flakes, III