Monday, February 3, 2025
“Why standest thou afar off, O LORD? why hidest thou thyself in times of trouble?” (Psalm 10:1 KJV).
In light of the recent New Orleans terrorist attack just a few hours away from my home, we are delighted to dispel the associated Bible ignorance….
Again, 2 Corinthians is Paul’s book of “suffering and comfort.” See chapter 1, verses 3-5,8-10: “Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ…. For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life: But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead: Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us;….”
Problems remind us not to depend on ourselves, but to lean on “the God of all comfort”—a role of God we could never appreciate unless we realized just how limited we are and how fallen our world really is. According to 2 Corinthians 12:7-10, Paul suffered a mysterious “thorn in the flesh” (an undesirable situation or condition—possibly a collection of upsetting situations or conditions). He initially saw it as a hindrance to his ministry, and thus thrice asked the Lord to remove it. Yet, his mind was changed when he heard the Lord’s answer: “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.” Paul’s renewed mind led him to reply, “Most gladly therefore will I rather glory [find value] in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.” Paul stopped asking for the problem’s removal, for he learned he could bear it (yea, all problems!) in Christ!
Again, we banish the Bible ignorance….
333 Words of Grace 