1 Peter 5:6-10

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on Him because he cares for you.
Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Resist him, stand firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.
And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.

So much in this verse.  I was just surfing a bit and found this verse on Piper’s site.

• Humble yourselves – pretty self explanatory.  Do some Gospel thinking, before you spend time thinking about someone else’s sin – remember your own
• Under the Mighty hand of God, so that at the proper time he may exalt you – God is sovereign, and in control of all things, subjugating all trials to work for our good – which is that we become more conformed to the image of Jesus. (Rom 8:29!)  Also, this part of the verse calls us to remember that he allows trials, and he will cause them to pass…at the proper time.
• Casting all your anxieties on Him for he cares for you – don’t hold stuff in, throw it…CAST it to Him, out of his love for you, he wants your worries
• Be sober-minded – don’t be quick to react, consider things
• Be watchful, your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour, Resist him. – this one hit me yesterday…as more bizarre things just started “popping up” – there is a spiritual warfare element to our life.  That “war-time” mentality as Piper says.   Know the game – we have an enemy…and he doesn’t just want to ruin our day – he wants us dead – pulled away from God – DEVOURED by our sins.  Call out to God for protection from him and resist him! (James 4:7)
• Standing firm in YOUR faith – whose faith?  YOURS.  Own it. Live it. Work it out.  (Phil 2:12-13). If you don’t have faith…ASK for it.   Life is hard.  Truth is sometimes hard to believe…will we believe Jesus?  (Luke 17:5)
• Knowing the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world – Two things: (1) one of the most common traps is thinking that we are alone in our sufferings and trials.  We are not.  Find a trusted Godly brother or sister and pour out to them. (2) others in the world are suffering much worse.  Have you been kidnapped, taken from your family, tortured and murdered for your faith today?
• After you have suffered for a little while – TEMPORARY.  (2 Cor 4:17 – momentary and light…)
• The God of all grace – Rom 8:32:  He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? (also see 2 Cor 9:8)
• Called you – remember WHO you are in Christ, not in your situation – but in CHRIST!  Eph 1-3.
• Eternal glory – someday, ALL sufferings and trials will be over, forever.
• Will himself – HE himself – personally…
  • restore
  • confirm
  • strengthen
  • establish

YOU…