Our Mighty God

Might Hand of God

In the previous verse, we saw at the close of last week how God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.

Peter picks up with that thought stating that God is the one that we should be humbling ourselves under.

This name reveals an attribute of God.

He is the might one.

The one who is all powerful, the one who dwells in unapproachable light. The one who the whole universe was created, and the universe is sustained.

He is the one who we are called to humble ourselves under.

He alone is the one who is strong enough to sustain us through all the area’s of life.

Allows Suffering

Peter in the previous chapter, and in a few verses speaks of the suffering that has, and is being experienced.

This reminds us of what Jesus has stated:

John 16:33

John 16:33 ESV

33 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

We will have tribulation.

Take heart! For He has overcome!

Physically? No, but He will.

Though the tempest may rage, though the enemy may roar and try his best to destroy us.

Our faith in God will not fail. Our footing on the solid rock will stand secure.

Knowing that our lives aren’t about this world, for our eyes are fixed on heaven.

For Christ overcame the world when the temptations of this life didn’t overtake him.

He remained righteous, even to the point of His death, and later His resurrection.

We overcome when our faith and love for Jesus remains, and is evident by us following His commands, even in the face of great opposition.

For this, we will experience tribulation.

What does this have to do with the might hand of God?

The trials, and the suffering that we may experience. They entered your life with the approval of the mighty sovereign God.

He is strong enough to sustain us through all difficulties of life.

Cast Your Anxieties

We just stated that He is the mighty one.

Is He mighty enough to deal with your problems?

This is casting a very large net, there are many more things that could be said but this isn’t a sermon specifically on anxiety.

There are two types of things we get anxious about. 1) Things we can change. 2) Things we can’t.

Things we can change:

Sometimes our fear is about making the mortgage or paying the electric bill.

Pray about it. But then let that fear prompt you to action. Find a side hustle to make some extra money.

Get a job that pays appropriate wages.

Become a wise steward of your money.

Do bring these to the Lord, but then take action.

Don’t let your fear and anxiety make you freeze up, or stop you from acting where you should.

Things we can’t change:

What’s going to happen on your drive to work tomorrow.

Who is going to be president and what is that going to do to our gun rights.

What if I take a new job, and it doesn’t work out.

What will the economy be like in 5 years.

What if I buy that house then loose my job!

We could exhaust ourselves with what if scenarios.

The fear of what we cannot change, will stop us from pursuing what we can change, and in the end fear will stop us from doing what God calls us to do.

Luke 19:20-23

The lazy servant, who was afraid of losing what was given him. He had fear propel him into inaction, and in the end, he was reprimanded and stripped of what he had.

Don’t let your anxieties and fears stop you from living a full life for God.

Anxiety mirrors our faith. Anxiety will decrease in exact proportion to our willingness to let go of our fears and trust God.

Why is it that we can cast our anxieties on Him?

He cares for you

We do not believe that God is absent and uninvolved in our lives.

God is present, and He loves and cares for you.

He will not allow His sheep to be destroyed by wolves.

He will let us go through trials and suffering for our growth, but he won’t allow us to be destroyed.

When we realize that God cares for us, and He is mighty. We will also realize that our anxiety is unfounded.

Be Watchful

v.8

greg-or-a-o

Throughout scripture this being a term is used in eschatological terms speaking of the second coming of Christ, it’s used as a call to endurance, and it’s used to be alert.

This is a reminder that the time is near. Don’t fall asleep. Don’t become lax.

You must be diligent to spend time with God. You must be diligent to stand for righteousness in a world where those lines are becoming blurred.

Be sober minded

Just as someone may drink to much alcohol, and their judgement is impaired.

Don’t be drunk on the things of this world. Don’t let your vision pertaining to this world become distorted.

If your desire is for entertainment more than godliness, you are drunk on the world.

If your focus is on building your own person kingdom, and not the kingdom of heaven, you are drunk on the world.

If your fear of man is allowing you to compromise on scripture, you are drunk on the world.

You must not compromise the word of God for this world, becasue you actively have an enemy.

The Devil

He is not an idea.

He is not a figure of speech for evil that resides in the world.

He is evil, and he is the enemy of God. His desire is to hurt God by destroying you.

The word for devour means to drink down. To swallow you whole. Much like the whale that swallowed Jonah.

You must stand against Him.

Resist Him

The wording Peter uses is to set yourself against Him!

Not to be passive to the evil that is taking place, but working for God against it.

We do this by being firm, or solid in the faith.

We should be unshakable in what we believe.

We aren’t the only one’s going through these trials.

God of Grace

Another attribute of God is revealed to us here!

He is the God who gives unmerited favor.

The God who rescues in our time of need.

God Himself will:

Restore

To repair what is broken.

It is used to mend nets.

Strengthen us

Make us strong, where we have been lacking from the trials.

Confirm

God will set us fast, or firmly fix.

Establish

To lay a foundation under something.

These three final words mean that the trials we endure will firmly plant us in our faith.

Through the trials we experience, (the direct context is from attacks from the enemy, but the same truth applies to other kinds of suffering we experience) We will be stronger in our faith having our feet almost cemented to the solid rock, that is Jesus.

That is why To Him be dominion forever and ever.