1 Peter 5:6: Humble Yourselves, Therefore, Under The Mighty Hand Of God So That At The Proper Time He May Exalt You

1 Peter 5:6

[6] Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, (ESV)

Peter is writing to people who were going through great struggles and persecution. They were prone to wanting to escape from the persecution, not realizing that God's sovereign plan sometimes meant that they would have to suffer. We are not much different today. We know, in theory, that suffering is part of God's plan for perfecting the believer, but we do not like it.

Instead of struggling with God, we are instructed to be humble. In fact, it is a command that we humble ourselves. Consider all of the energy that we put in to fighting against God, and his will. God invites us to put that energy into humbling ourselves. Think about it. If we were to get our way, and not yield to God's way, how would that work out for us? In spite of how hard it may be, we find God's way is better.

Part of our problem in dealing with God's sovereignty is that we forget the character and nature of our God. He is good. He is not trying to destroy us, even though it may feel like it at times. Being in the furnace of suffering is not a fun place to be. When God allows the times of suffering in our lives, he ultimately wants good for us, not harm.

There are many Christians who take comfort in Romans 8:28, which says, "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose." It says that all things work together for good, it does not say that everything feels good. What is ultimately for our best good is when God gets the most glory. As we are humbled, God will exalt us, in his time.

Hang in there. There will be struggles. Keep yourself humble. God will raise you up. In the meantime, know that his sovereign will is for your good, even though it may not feel good.