1 Peter 5:8-11 (NLT)
Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are.
10 In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation. 11 All power to him forever! Amen.
1 Peter 5:8-11 The Message (MSG)
He Gets the Last Word
8-11Keep a cool head. Stay alert. The Devil is poised to pounce, and would like nothing better than to catch you napping. Keep your guard up. You're not the only ones plunged into these hard times. It's the same with Christians all over the world. So keep a firm grip on the faith. The suffering won't last forever. It won't be long before this generous God who has great plans for us in Christ—eternal and glorious plans they are!—will have you put together and on your feet for good. He gets the last word; yes, he does.
Once again I find I get more from the paraphrase than the translation. The Message often gives me the positive outcome where translations leave us with a bold “get it together” type message. The Message tells us to keep our guard up and to keep a firm grip on the faith but it also tells us that God gets the last word. How great is that? It’s like turning the book to the last page in the middle of the nail biting sequence. Yes, indeed, God does get the last word!
