The candy that is called “Now and Later” came on the market in 1962. The name suggests that you are going to like them now and then want some more later. The candy’s chewy texture also suggests that if you put a piece in your mouth now, you will still be chewing it later.
I am so thankful that we serve a God who is the God of now and later. One very encouraging passage of scripture that describes this aspect of our God is 1 Peter 5:10-11. Peter encourages us with this wonderful benediction. “But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen”.
These verses tell us that God has given us His grace in our life now, and His glory in our future later. Right now, He is called the God of All Grace. His grace follows us up the steep mountains and down into the deep valleys of our life. His grace is there to follow us in our sufferings. His grace is actively working to perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle us. Yet we are also told that He is the God of Eternal Glory. When we receive Christ as our Savior, we are told that God has called us to eternal glory. We are promised all through the scriptures that our future is secure. We will be spending eternity in the Father’s House with all those who have also been redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ. And we will be surrounded by the awesome wonder of the glory of God.
You may never have tried the candy called: “Now and Later”. However, if you are a Christ follower, you serve a God who is the God of now and later. We get to experience the power of His grace now and spend eternity in His glory later. The God of All Grace is the God of Eternal Glory.