2 Corinthians 1:8-10 "We do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, of the affliction we experienced in Asia; for we were so utterly, unbearably crushed that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death so that we would rely not on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He who rescued us from so deadly a peril will continue to rescue us; on him, we have set our hope that he will rescue us again.” Today's episode talks about why it is important to share our afflictions with others. It addresses the thought we all have that the afflictions we are going through our our fault. This episode also reassures us that God will always be there to save us. Music:"Adding the Sun" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
We Were So Utterly, Unbearably Crushed
2 Corinthians 1:8-10 "We do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, of the affliction we experienced in Asia; for we were so utterly, unbearably crushed that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death so that we would rely not on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He who rescued us from so deadly a peril will continue to rescue us; on him, we have set our hope that he will rescue us again.”
I like this verse because it shows us that even when we feel we are crushed more than we can take, we can still have hope that God will rescue us. This is a letter written from Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy, our brother, To the church of God that is in Corinth, including all the saints throughout Achaia.
The verse starts out letting them know that they didn’t want them to be unaware of how they were treated in Asia. It states that they were so utterly, unbearably crushed that they were despaired of life itself. It is great that Paul and Timothy shared their afflictions with their fellow brothers in the church in Corinth. Too many times, we keep our afflictions or ourselves. We pretend that all is ok and that we are fine. We act like we have no troubles, and then people believe us. The problem is that they start to hide their afflictions, too, because they think they are the only ones having any afflictions.
Can you see the damaging spiral this can cause? We all act like we are fine and that nothing is bothering us. We act like life is easy, or our jobs are easy. We act like the world is a wonderful place where nothing bad ever happens. This may make us feel better, but it doesn’t help those around us. We are not teaching those who look up to us for the answers how to deal with heartbreak, disappointment, or any other feelings associated with the afflictions we are hiding.
I actually don’t think it even makes us feel better. We might not feel humiliated that others know the pain we are going through, yet we feel all alone and figure no one else is going through the same thing we are going through. When we don’t share our troubles, we rob our friends and family of the graces that come from comforting us in our time and need.
The next part of the verse says, “ Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death so that we would rely not on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.” This part has two interesting parts. The first one is that they felt they received this death sentence to teach them a lesson. This is something we all think more often than we would like to admit. When something bad happens to us, we wonder what we did to deserve it. We start to wonder why God is doing this to us. We question what lesson he wants us to get out of it.
God is not the cause of the bad things that happen to us. Yes, it is true that nothing happens to us that has not passed through the hands of God. That means that although he is not the cause, he has allowed it to happen. This does not mean that everything that happens to you is because God is trying to teach you a lesson. It doesn’t mean everything that happens to you is your fault or that it is punishment for something you have done. Sometimes, some things just happen. If we trip and fall down a few stairs, it probably doesn’t have a deep spiritual meaning. If our child or loved one gets sick, it doesn’t mean we are being punished for something.
This verse can comfort us by reminding us that we are not the only ones who feel this way. If the apostles Paul and Timothy felt their affliction was to teach them a lesson, then it is normal for us to think that, too. I also think sometimes this can be the case. However, not everything we go through is to teach us a lesson. However, God can use all things for our good, and sometimes, that comes as a lesson or wisdom gained when we make it through a really hard time.
The second interesting thing about this part of the verse is when it reminds us that God is the one who raises the dead. I love this part because it reminds us that no matter how far down we are, God can always save us. There is no pit deep enough for us to be out of God’s reach. Jesus went all the way down to hell to lead the righteous home. If He can travel to Hell, he most certainly can travel to whatever pit we find ourselves in and lead us to home, too!
Our affliction is hopefully not unbearable, crushing us. However, I do know several people who have loved ones who have cancer, and that may feel unbearable. I know some young adults who are suffering from anxiety, stress, and depression, and they feel that the weight of the world is crushing them. I know some young adults caught up in addiction, and the weight of that is crushing them as well. Whether your affliction is unbearable, crushing, an inconvenience, or somewhere in between, I want to pass this verse along to you to show you that God can still help you. No matter the level of affliction, God can save you. There is nothing too big or too small for God.
The verse ends with, “He who rescued us from so deadly a peril will continue to rescue us; on him, we have set our hope that he will rescue us again.” God will continue to rescue us. No matter how often we find ourselves in trouble or how often we are afflicted. He will continue to rescue us over and over again. All we have to do is set our hope in Him. When we feel the weight of our struggle becoming too much for us, we just turn to the Lord and ask Him to carry that weight for us. He is our Lord and our Savior. That means when we need saving, He will be there to save us.
Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless everyone listening to this episode today. Lord, you are amazing, and we are so grateful for all that you do. We are grateful that we can rely on you to rescue us repeatedly and that you never let us down. We ask you, Lord, to remind us of this when we forget. We ask you to remind us when we get scared and frightened, and our problems seem to get bigger and bigger. Help us remember that you are bigger than anything we can encounter in this world! We love you so much, Lord, and we ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus’s holy name, Amen!
Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus. If you are struggling with something right now and are wondering how you could surrender your worries to the Lord, I invite you to join us for mentoring this month. The theme is Surrender, and we are learning how to surrender everything to the Lord. If you cannot make it Tuesday nights at 8, you will receive the recording. Although you miss out on the small group discussion, you still get all the teachings on Surrender. For a dollar a day, that is a pretty good value, even if you can’t attend live. I look forward to meeting you here again tomorrow. Remember, Jesus loves you just as you are, and so do I! Have a blessed day!
Today’s Word from the Lord was received in January 2024 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today’s Word from the Lord is, “My children, be not afraid of the storms of life. I am here beside you. I will help you overcome. My power will break whatever is in the way. I will remove the obstacle because I am the power over the storm.”