By Pastor Bob DeKlavon
Yesterday, I wrote about the death of my father and the card someone sent with scripture included.
The passage is 2 Corinthians 1:3-11 and I wrote about God comforting us so we can comfort others.
As we read along in this passage—Paul talks about afflictions and sufferings he has endured.
It is easy to speak about God’s care when you don’t have any cares.
At times, people speak of God’s strength when they have never felt weakness.
That was certainly not the case for Paul.
He suffered mightily for the sake of the gospel and he writes about it in several places.
In this passage—he shares the following which comes from The Message paraphrase.
Let me give this to us in two parts:
PART 1: DESPAIRING OF LIFE
11 We don’t want you in the dark, friends, about how hard it was when all this came down on us in Asia province. It was so bad we didn’t think we were going to make it. We felt like we’d been sent to death row, that it was all over for us.
Years ago, I read a book about depression.
A thought that stuck out to me is how many people in the Bible suffered with bouts of depression.
Just a quick glance gives us Elijah and Jonah and Job and…Paul.
Here—Paul enter a point where he just doesn’t think he is going to make it.
Another translation says:
“we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired of life.”
Remember—this IS the apostle Paul we are talking about.
If he despaired of life—realize at times that the same may happen to us.
However, I am glad Paul didn’t stop there but he goes to:
PART 2: THE REASON WHY
As it turned out, it was the best thing that could have happened. Instead of trusting in our own strength or wits to get out of it, we were forced to trust God totally—not a bad idea since he’s the God who raises the dead! And he did it, rescued us from certain doom. And he’ll do it again, rescuing us as many times as we need rescuing.
Notice the part in bold.
If “I” can handle my afflictions by myself—do I really need God?
If I can deal with my problems apart from any help—well, again, why would I need God?
It is when the afflictions build up and the weight is too much that I am forced to do one of two things:
One—rely on my own strength and be depressed or to despair even more or,
Two—trust totally in God and His power and His strength.
God’s desire is that we continue to grow in Him.
Without afflictions in our life—how will our faith be tested and how will we learn to trust in Him?
His afflictions come in our life so we will turn to Him—no matter how many times we must.