Called to eternal glory

In today’s first reading, 1 Peter 5: 5b-14, we read: “The God of all grace who called you to his eternal glory through Christ Jesus will himself restore, confirm, strengthen , and establish you after you have suffered a little.” Wow! Just think of that promise! First of all, it is made by “the God of all grace.” How do we finite beings comprehend “all grace, ” infinite kindness, endless mercy , a God of incomprehensible blessing! His clemency is awesome! Secondly, this God has called you and me to eternal glory. Wow! We have been chosen to be on the team that will be admitted into a glorious kingdom with God in heaven forever and we did not even need to come out on top of the competition to win that gift. It is freely given by a loving God! “You did not choose me; I chose you,” we are told in John 15:16. Who would not want to be chosen to dwell in the house of the Lord forever. There cannot be anything equal to that kind of dwelling! For that to happen for us, God Himself, not anyone else, will restore us to the state we enjoyed in His mind before His creation of us. He will confirm us as His own, as heirs of the Kingdom, adopted as God’s children by the blood of the Lamb. And finally, He will strengthen us who have been weakened by sinful inclinations and our struggles with Satan here on this earth. Yes, He will establish us in His Kingdom forever! That is the gift of redemption! To God be all praise and glory and thanksgiving!