2 Corinthians 1:8-9 Trouble
Food for Thought
An all-creatures.org Guide to Kingdom Living

By Marni Montanez

2 Corinthians 1:8-9 New Life Version

8. We want you to know, Christian brothers, of the trouble we had in the countries of Asia. The load was so heavy we did not have the strength to keep going. At times we did not think we could live.

9. We thought we would die. This happened so we would not put our trust in ourselves, but in God Who raises the dead.

These men faced the depth of despair,  fading strength and the inability to see what was ahead,  much like most of us have experienced at some point in our lives.  We feel like we get to the very edge and can’t go on any longer.  Hope is distant and our soul becomes desperate.  Then as strength drains from our soul and our body, we can no longer take the pressure and we want it all to stop.   This is when we feel like dying or that we are dying.  We’ve no strength left.  

These followers of Christ met with opposition that pounded against their spiritual muscles much like powerful waves pound against the huge boulders that line the shore.   Each day was a wind of trouble that they met with determination.   But eventually, when these troubles would not let up, it began to take its toll on their bodies and emotions and little by little they lost their stamina in the constant current that raged against them.   

When we go through these times, there seems to be no escape from the feelings of turmoil that can feel physical as well as emotional.   It seems that our cries out to God are in vain and met with deafening silence.   We cannot see where we’ve been or where we’re going; we are trapped under a shadow cast over our mind. There is no instant answer in these moments.   

We must do what these men of God did; we must realize that putting our trust in ourselves is disastrous.   We must put our trust in God or we will lose all hope.  God can and will deliver us from this difficult time.  

Psalm 34:19 International Standard Version

A righteous person will have many troubles, but the Lord will deliver him from them all.

We have to believe that God has not abandoned us; In God we will find our ability to stand up again and continue on.   There is a quote I live by and that helps me to keep going:

“To courageously straighten again after our heads have been bowed by defeat, disappointment and suffering is the supreme test of character.”

Challenge:  In the moments of deepest despair, put up your hands and submit to God.  Express your trust for Him alone and confess your need to lean upon Him.  

God bless

Marni

Go on to: 2 Corinthians 3:17 - There is Liberty
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The purpose of this series is to encourage people to live as loving, compassionate, and peacemaking children of God: Jesus tells us to pray, "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." (Matthew 6:10) God tells us through Micah (6:8), "He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you But to do justice, to love kindness, And to walk humbly with your God." And we know from Revelation 21:4 that there will be no more mourning, or crying, or pain, or death. Thus, Christian living requires us to set the standards of these conditions here on earth for our fellow human beings, and for the other animals, as a witness to the rest of the world. To do otherwise is not Christian.