¹⁰After 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. ¹¹To Him be dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Wow, what a promise! God will allow suffering, there is no doubt about that, as we know from both experience and biblical passages like this. Of course, the book of Job is the prime treatise on suffering, its causes, and the issues involved. And Job’s later life testifies of God’s establishing him further in blessings. So, Christians, let’s take heart when we find ourselves in the midst of suffering.

The promise is that our suffering will be “for a little while.” Peter gives this assurance specifically to the first-century readers of his letter, but it is for us too, for it comes not only from his own experience of suffering (see, for example, Acts 5:40­–41) but also from the prophetic insight given him. So the same assurance resonates with us, not only for our time here on earth but in light of eternity; our suffering here is but for a relatively short time.

Second, we are reminded of God’s grace that motivates and empowers us to stand strong in our sufferings. His grace has to do with more than salvation, forgiveness, and redemption. It also has to do with strength for Christian living, which is especially needed when we face suffering. God is not required to help or strengthen us, for we do not deserve anything from Him. In salvation and in all of our life, He is not indebted to help us, apart from His own gracious desire to do so. He wants to! So we have the character of God to hold onto in faith as we face our difficulties. In the truest sense, His character is inherently His promise to us; He always acts according to His grace! He is the God of all grace!

We have been called to His eternal glory in Christ. That is our destiny, and nothing on earth can stop God’s design for us (see Phil. 1:6). Our struggle here may seem unending, and we need to see Christ not just in the present moment but in eternity. We look to Him who sees the beginning and the end and everything in between—all at the same time. He is already in the future, where we have not yet arrived. So by fixing our eyes on Him in the future, right now, we are lifted up above our circumstances. Are we not taught to pray, “Our Father, who art in heaven . . .”?

Now here is the glorious promise, which rests upon His character and His eternality. He will perfect, confirm, strengthen, and establish each of us as believers. That is the end game, where God is taking us. Promise!

Lord, thank You for this glimpse of the end game. May Your Kingdom reign.