Transcript
In 1 Peter, Peter is addressing people who are suffering. Suffering is a theme throughout this whole letter and as Peter is reaching a crescendo in chapter 5:9, he reminds the sufferers that if they look around, they would realize that they're not the only ones who are suffering. At first glance, you may read that and say, "Why would he say that? How is that helpful to a sufferer to say, 'Oh, well, everybody else is suffering, too.'"
Where Is Your God Now?
Well, in saying that, Peter is addressing one of the principal dark, debilitating lies of the enemy in your moment of suffering, to whisper in your ear and say, "Where is your God now? Perhaps, He does have favorites. Perhaps, He has turned His back on you. Perhaps, your experience is unique."
Now, all of us, when we're suffering, go through, "Why me? Why now? Why not them," and so, Paul is addressing something that's very important to understand. It's a theme in scripture. It's the theme of the universality of suffering. It's there in Romans 8 as well, where Paul speaks to the suffering and assumes the universality of that experience.
Why do we suffer? Well, we live in a fallen world that's not operating the way God intended. If you're not suffering now, you will someday and if you're not suffering now, you're near someone who is. You see, if you think that your suffering is an indication that you're unique and God has turned His back on you and He's playing favorites, then you will doubt His goodness and when you doubt God's goodness, you don't run to Him for help.
1 Peter 5:9 is in the Bible to point out that lie, to warn us against believing that lie, and to embrace that we're not unique, that God has chosen for us to live in this broken world, and He meets us in the regular experiences of life in a fallen world with His amazing grace.
