2 Corinthians 1:8-11 – God, our ever-present help In these verses Paul spoke about an affliction that he and his companions were undergoing. The difficulty was something way beyond their ability to endure. It was of such an intensity that they even despaired of life. Paul didn’t reveal what difficulty that was but apparently the Corinthians knew what it was. However, they didn’t know the intensity of the affliction. At the beginning Paul apparently doubted that he would get out of it alive. The word Paul used to describe this experience is affliction. It’s a word used to describe an animal that is made to carry a load so heavy that it is breaking that animal down. In verse 9 he said it was like a death sentence. Paul probably was not saying that he had a literal death sentence. He was describing the state he was in at that moment. He was probably going through a very low point of his life. When a person is at that low point of his life, it’s like a death sentence. We have all been there before and we know how it feels like. The word affliction was also Paul’s graphic way of describing how burdened he was for the believers in Corinth and also the conditions of the other churches in Asia. We have a glimpse of what Paul went through in 2 Corinthians 2:4, where he described his experience of sorrow, distress, anguish of heart, and tears. And then in 2 Corinthians 11:28, he revealed that daily he faced the pressure of his concern for all the churches. The apostle had been trying hard to minister to the Corinthians and his effort didn’t seem to work with them and he must have felt crushed. In those moments he could have wished for the Lord’s return immediately. Or he could also be saying “Lord if you’re not coming now what about taking me home?” In saying he bore the sentence of death could be his way of describing those moments of pressure that led to the musing of death. He was discouraged, disappointed, and had reached a point where he felt he just couldn’t go on anymore. Paul could have been on the brink of a burnt-out. Then he suddenly realized that he was doing it all by his own strength and effort. He realized that he had relied too much on himself and not God, who specializes in delivering us from our own “death sentence.” He immediately switched his focus and turned to trust the Lord. Instead on looking inward or outward, he looked upward to God who alone could deliver from death. It’s implied here that Paul realized that no matter how capable he was, when death comes knocking on one’s door, everything would be done for. Hence it would be wiser to rely on the Lord. In verse 10, it also dawned on Paul that the Lord, whom he and his fellow workers set their focus on, not only could but also would deliver them from their present and all their future problems. And in verse 11, Paul expressed a spirit of interdependence. Not only must he turn to God but he must also solicit the prayers of his brethren in the community. Paul knew and believed in the power of the intercession of fellow believers. We see here that the marvel of the collaborated effort of the tri-ology - God, Paul and fellow believers. The combination of the three would bring a resounding victory in his trying time. God would deliver, Paul must trust Him, and believers must support in prayers. As a result many people would be offering their thanks to God for the favor He had bestowed on Paul and his fellow workers, in answer to their prayers. This is worth our emulation. Leaders must trust the Lord, members must pray for the leaders and we shall see God’s deliverance. Be reminded that troubles in life need not crush us. We can leverage it by relying more on God. We must trust God and don’t rely on our feeling. Let’s recall past victories and let them be an assurance of future ones. Let’s stay open to God’s leading and dealing. Let’s allow tough circumstances of life to develop our reliance on God. And let’s cultivate a life of interdependent prayers because of the great potential it has for the community of faith.
Posted on: Thu, 27 Mar 2014 22:40:28 +0000
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