We think you ought to know, dear brothers and sisters, about the trouble we went through in the province of Asia. We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and we thought we would never live through it. In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead. And he did rescue us from mortal danger, and he will rescue us again. We have placed our confidence in him, and he will continue to rescue us. (2 Corinthians 1:8–10, NLT)
When life is hard, we often ask ourselves why our circumstances are so troubling. Or we ask the question, “Why is this happening to me?” I think the above verses give us at least a potential and partial answer.
Paul and his companions endured circumstances that were life crushing and beyond their human capacity to overcome. In fact, they thought they were going to die. But as a result, they came to the realization that they needed to totally rely on God. When they trusted God, rather than trusting in themselves, they experienced his deliverance.
God delivered us from our sin, delivers us on a daily basis as we trust in him, and he will continue to deliver us no matter what difficulties we may face. We must learn we are not sufficient in ourselves to live a successful Christian. When we embrace this fact, the Holy Spirit will empower us to accomplish all that God has for us. This is the place where Son Power invades our lives.
It is the work of the Holy Spirit that enables us to lead a life of victory. We must put our confidence in Christ for continuing deliverance as we live our everyday life. Our sufficiency comes from only from him.
Today, ask yourself:
What do I typically put my confidence in when life gets hard?
How has this website helped you?