Even then, in seasons of distress, believers can stand steadfast in HIM
“And he has said to me,
(The 2nd Letter of Paul to the Corinthians 12: 9a NASB)
“My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.”
Pain does not always arrive with an explanation, and sometimes, even believers find themselves in a season of despair, even ones filled with no easy answers. In the Bible, we read the account of Job, and we may say, “Yet, but by the grace of God, there go I.” Job had it all: family, fortune, friends, and a future, but what this man of God displayed as his most valuable possession was his faith in Almighty God. Maybe today, you find yourself in a ‘Job season,’ one filled with unanswered questions, with days filled with turmoil, or with sadness filling your heart.
In this season, Jesus is present there with you.
It is here, in this place of unrest, where everything seems to be loss and despair, you may realize that where you are standing is actually—God’s Holy Ground.
“Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses,
(The 2nd Letter of Paul to the Corinthians 12: 9b NASB)
so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.”
The apostle Paul, who penned this second letter to the believers living in the city of Corinth, a place known for its idolatry. This man of God understood what it meant to “suffer for the Lord,” for he suffered greatly from the time he gave his heart to Jesus.
- Maybe you are grieving.
- Maybe you are confused.
- Maybe you are filled with questions.
- Maybe your suffering has stopped you from standing tall.
Could you be suffering because of your testimony of Jesus, for the spread of the gospel.
Possibly you are suffering within a season of which is out of your control.
Both Job and Paul experienced REAL suffering. However, even though the pain cut them deeply, NEVER was their suffering proof that God had abandoned them. Quite the opposite is actually true, for in their suffering, that is the place where they found Jesus carrying them through, parting the waters, forging the way, and taking them to the other side.
“Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake;
(The 2nd Letter of Paul to the Corinthians 12: 10 NASB)
for when I am weak, then I am strong.”
NEVER FORGET, follower of Christ, since you were put to death in Christ, you belong to Christ Jesus—The Son of God.
NEVER FORGET, Christian, believer in Jesus’ work on the cross and in the grave, you have one single task now that you are a child of God—Bear Fruit for God.