The Salve for Suffering
Sharing in Christ’s Glory – Part 2

Scripture Reading: 1 Peter 5:1-7

Key Verse: 1 Peter 5:1

And now, a word to you who are elders in the churches. I, too, am an elder and a witness to the sufferings of Christ. And I, too, will share in his glory when he is revealed to the whole world. As a fellow elder, I appeal to you

The New Living Translation gives us this phrase before the words, “glory and honor”: never-ending. Think about what these words are describing for us, a time without end when we will enjoy the glory and honor God gives us.

Eternity is one of the tough concepts in the New Testament to get our minds wrapped around. We live all our lives in a time-based society. Everything we do is locked into time. To imagine a world without time is nearly impossible. In his second letter, the Apostle Peter wrote that we should not forget, a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day in the Lord’s world (2 Peter 3:8). I believe He is really saying, there is no time in our next world; thus we exist forever.

For believers this is a glorious thought; our rewards for being faithful will be enjoyed forever. We won’t get tired of or bored with the glory God gives us. In God’s presence we will simply enjoy these rewards throughout eternity, as if we had just received them.

This is the salve for our present suffering. No matter what hurts in your life, stay faithful to God—it will be worth it all. It’s not easy to have this eternal perspective when we are hurting now, but picture what the Apostle Peter is writing about and let it be salve to your soul!

Father, thank you for the eternal rewards you are preparing for all your children. I will stay faithful! In Jesus’ name, amen.