Written ~ 12-13-2024
Read 1 Peter Chapter Five
1 Peter 5
Chapter five is a final exhortation to believers who needed the reminder that the Lord is with them! It’s the final push to make sure they understood the importance of standing firm in Christ. It would be wise for us to listen to the words of Peter.
In the first five verses of chapter five, Peter gives advice to the elders of the church and also to the young men of the church. He appeals to the elders to take care of the church, they are the flock that God has entrusted to them, so they must watch over them. In verse 5:4 there is a promise given to those who are faithful in serving the people that God has assigned to their care, “…when the Good Shepherd appears, you will receive a crown of never-ending glory and honor.” As Peter addresses the young men of the church, what he says to them is something you and I should be considering as well, “…all of you, dress yourselves in humility as you relate to one another…” The reward for doing so, God gives grace to those who are humble, opposition is given to those who are full of pride.
1 Peter 5:6-7…
6 “So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time He will lift you up in honor. 7 Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares about you.”
For these two verses we are going to look at the explanations given by the Life Application Study Bible footnotes… it gives such great clarification. I, for one, needed to hear what these footnotes express…
Verse 5:6b…
“…at the right time God will lift you up in honor…”
- We often worry about position and status, hoping to get proper recognition for what we do. But Peter advises us to remember that God’s recognition counts more than human praise. God is able to bless us according to His timing. Humbly obey God regardless of your present circumstances, and in His good time – either in this life or in the next – He will honor you.
Verse 5:7…
“Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares about you.”
- Carrying our worries, stresses, and daily struggles by ourselves shows that we have not trusted God fully with our lives. Humility is needed to recognize that God cares, to admit our needs, and to let others in God’s family help us. Sometimes we think that struggles caused by our own sin and foolishness are not God’s concern. But when we turn to God in repentance, He will bear the weight of those struggles. Letting God carry our anxieties calls for action, not passivity. Don’t submit to circumstances; submit to the Lord, who controls circumstances.
Are we willing to give up our pride? Are we truly willing to hand over all the things that worry us? If we are then God will get the glory and honor for the change in our lives. It is important to understand just how much God cares for each and every one of us! As you go through your day, does it occur to you that God cares about what you are doing? He cares about your worries and wants to take them from you. Does it ever cross your mind that the recognition you should desire is the recognition that only God can give? The way He will honor you is above and beyond anything you should try to obtain here on earth. God cares for us! That’s awesome… truly.
1 Peter 5:8-9…
8 “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. 9 Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are.”
This warning is something every believer must take seriously. If we are not steadfast and firm in the knowledge we have gained from Scripture, we can become the perfect target for the enemy to strike. When our focus is on our worries, instead of on the Lord, we may miss the prowling enemy. James 4:7 says, “So, humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” If we cut ourselves off from fellowshipping with other believers, if we discontinue to gain wisdom and understanding from studying the Word of God and we abandon our prayer life, we become the perfect prey for a very sly and powerful enemy. Verse 5:8 says the devil is like a roaring lion, he’s hunting, he’s prowling, he’s looking for someone to devour. If we are “standing firm” and we are remaining “strong in our faith,” we can withstand the attack of the enemy. But just like Scripture says, we must stay alert, we must resist! It’s important for us to remember that we are not alone in our faith, there are believers all over the world who are experiencing the same things we are! We need to seek support of other believers so we can successfully avert any attacks from the enemy. It’s not good for any of us to try and remain faithful all by ourselves. We need each other!
These next couple of verses are a wonderful ending for this chapter… they should give every believer an expectant hope for the future and cause each of us to withstand the pressure of our struggles, just a little longer…
1 Peter 5:10-11…
10 “In His kindness God called you to share in His eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, He will restore, support, and strengthen you, and He will place you on a firm foundation. 11 All Power to Him Forever! Amen.”
This is our future! When we reach heaven, we will be restored, completely! God will give us strength here on earth when we seek Him first in everything. When our foundation is set in the Word of God while we live out our days, He promises that the foundation we are placed on will be firm, unshakable and never ending.
When we struggle, when our circumstances seem to go on with no end in sight, we must look to the future glory we will have in heaven. We can’t focus on the things we go through here on earth. If we do, we will keep ourselves in a state of despair until we reach heaven.
We need to walk in the power of the Holy Spirit, we must pray earnestly for wisdom and understanding as we study Scripture so we will know how to address the difficulties that often present themselves. We should be able to exclaim at any given moment:
“All Power to Him Forever!”
~AMEN~