August 4

And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore you, secure you, strengthen you, and establish you. — 1 Pet 5:10 BSB

There is no Christian perfection, no divine establishment, no spiritual strength, and no solid grounding without suffering. But after the soul has suffered and felt God’s chastening hand, the result is perfection, establishment, strength, and settlement. Through suffering, a person becomes firmly convinced of the character of God as revealed in Scripture and made manifest in their own conscience. They become settled in the belief of an “everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and sure,” convinced that “all things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to his purpose,” and assured that everything happens according to God’s eternal plan, all working for the good of the Church and for God’s eternal glory.

The soul is also settled into a deep understanding of the misery, wretchedness, and emptiness of the creature, convinced that the world is nothing but a shadow and that the things of time and sense are fleeting bubbles that burst as soon as they are grasped. Such a person comes to see that sin is the most dreadful thing to be feared, and that God’s favor is the most desirable thing to be sought. They realize that nothing is worth knowing except Jesus Christ and him crucified, and that all things are passing away, while they themselves are rapidly moving toward eternity.

Thus, the soul becomes settled in the knowledge of the truth, anchored in the Lord, looking to him for preservation here and for peace and safety in the eternal home to come.