"God's Wonder Working Power"

who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

If you have ever faced a difficult trial in your life than you know what it is like to wonder what in the world is God doing? Or what is He doing about it and why would He let us go through these times? In the Greek language there are 10 basic words for suffering and Paul uses 5 of these words here in this short letter to the Corinthians. The most used word here is the word “affliction,” which means narrow, confined, and under pressure. We also see the word tribulation and trouble. Paul felt overwhelmed with many afflictions as he wrote this letter. The only thing Paul knew to do was to look up to Christ to help him get through this time.

In verses 5-6 Paul uses the word (pathema) “suffering” which is also the same word used to describe the suffering that Christ went through as our Savior. In this life there are sufferings that we go through simply because we are human and we will deal with pain, but there are also sufferings that we deal with because we are God’s children and we have a desire to serve God. Suffering and trouble are not always an accident because there are times where God allows trials and suffering to come our way. So, how will we handle it? How will we respond?

-First, If we view trials and suffering as fate and chance then are only response will be to give up. No one can control fate or chance.

-Second, if we have to control everything ourselves without turning things over to God and submitting to Him, then our situation is hopeless.

-But if God is in control and we really do trust Him, then when trials and suffering come our way we can lean unto God and know that we can get through things with His help and guidance. We see many people throughout God’s Word that faced trials and suffering, Job, Joseph, Daniel, and Queen Esther. These people were able to face the trials by learning from God that He does permit us to go through these times but God is with us in those moments. God was with Joseph in the prison, he was with Daniel in the lions den, and He was with Queen Ester when her people were facing being wiped out.

2. God is in Control of the trials!

2 Corinthians 1:8 ESV

For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself.

Paul tells us that they were so burdened beyond their strength that they despaired of life itself. Clearly, we can see here that Paul and the Corinthians were weighed down with burdens to heavy to carry on their own. God knew exactly what Paul and the believers were going through. God knew exactly just how much Paul could take and He kept the situation under control.

We don’t know exactly what Paul was dealing with here or what specific trouble that he was in but it was big enough to make Paul think he was going to die. We know that Paul faced wild beasts in Ephesus from 1 Cor. 15:32. We know that Paul faced opposition also 1 Cor. 16:8-9. We know Paul suffered 39 lashes after being arraigned before a jewish court. He faced riots, persecution and recurring health issues. Paul was also under constant satanic attacks. What we do know is that God was with Paul and that God controlled all the circumstances and protected his servant. My point here is that Paul and the Corinthians may have despaired of life itself, but God did not despair of His children. God was their with them and helped them to lean on them and not their own strength or might.

3. God gives us the strength to go through the trials!

2 Corinthians 1:9 ESV

Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead.

One of the toughest things that we as believers understand when we go through trials is that God shows us just how weak we really are. This is never easy for someone who is selfish or prideful. We are weak and frail left to ourselves. When we take a in depth look into the Apostle Paul’s life we see that he was very gifted and talented. He had experienced many things throughout his life and had been through many different kinds of trials. You would think that all of this experience would have helped prepare him to be sufficient to face these new difficulties and overcome them.

The lesson here is that God wants us to trust Him. God doesn’t want us to trust in our gifts, or abilities, our strength, or even in our own experiences. Why??? Because just about the time we feel that we are doing ok on our own or that we are doing just fine is when our enemy comes sneaking up on us and we fail miserably. Here is what Paul tells us to do in Galatians

Galatians 2:20 ESV

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

When you and I die to ourselves, or our selfish desires, then God’s resurrection power can go to work. This happened in Abraham and Sarah’s life and God enabled them to have their promised son.

Now dying to self does not mean that we just don’t do anything about the trials we go through. It doesn’t mean that we become complacent and do nothing expecting God to do everything. We know that the Apostle Paul devoted himself to meeting with God and praying. We know that he devoted himself to the reading of God’s Word. We know that he met and consulted with other godly people to get solid advice, and of course he trusted God to work. Church, the God who can raise the dead is sufficient for any difficulty that you and I might face in this life

The Apostle Paul never denied the way he felt, in fact many times throughout Scripture we see Paul writing about his trials and his suffering. I tell you that today because God doesn’t want us to hide what we are going through, he knows exactly what you are facing today and He is there to give you the strength to face those hardships. He never leaves us alone, he never gives up on us. I want you to know today that God is there for you. Will you trust in Him?

4. God can deliver us from our trials!

2 Corinthians 1:10 ESV

He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again.

Paul saw God’s hand of deliverance all around him. When Paul looked back God was there. When Paul looked around or ahead God was there. The word Paul used here in verse 10 means to help out of distress, to save and protect. Now it is important here for you to listen to me. As your pastor I want you to know that God does not always answer us immediately or on our time frame. God does not also answer us in the same way that we would like. When we look at Scripture we know that James was beheaded, yet Peter was delivered out of from prison. Both were delivered but in different ways. Sometimes God delivers us from our trials, and at other times He delivers us in our trials.

Yes, we as believers will go through trials. But we need to remember that God can deliver us from them. God delivered His people out of slavery and into a Promised land. There will be times where we wait on God to deliver us and there will be times where God goes with us through those trials we just need to remember that He is there.

5. God gets the glory through our trials!

2 Corinthians 1:11 ESV

You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many.

When Paul reported what God was doing for Him and what God had in fact done, there was much praise and thanksgiving that went up to God from the saints that were there in Corinth. Church, our help comes by prayer and through prayer. My point here is that God does listen and hear our prayers but he wants us to come to the hard reality that we must never trust or rely in ourselves. We must rely on God, and that is why we need prayer. We should desperately want to run to God and spend time with Him.

When we know and understand that God meets with us, we can give thanks for God and all of His gracious answers to our prayers. One of the greatest things we as humans can do here on earth is to give glory to God our Father, and sometimes that service is in and through the suffering we experience here on earth.

The Apostle Paul was never ashamed to ask the Christians to pray for him because he realized just how important it was. In at least seven of Paul’s letters he mentioned his great need for prayer support.

-Romans 15.

-Ephesians 6.

-Philippians 1:19.

-Colossians 4:3.

-1 Thess. 5.

-2 Thess. 3:1.

-And Philemon 22

Philemon 22 ESV

At the same time, prepare a guest room for me, for I am hoping that through your prayers I will be graciously given to you.

What Paul realized is that the believers in Corinth were helping each other and helping Paul when they went to the Lord in prayer. One of the greatest things we get to do as believers is come to the Lord anytime of day in prayer. And we get to see the effectiveness of prayer. The blessing here in verse 11 that Paul talks about is the on-going deliverance that God was giving to Paul and the other believers.

Conclusion: God works out His purposes in the trials of this life, when we yield to Him, when we trust Him, and obey what He tells us to do. Has there come a time in your life where you have done just that? Have you submitted to the Lord? The difficulties in this life can increase our faith and strengthen our prayer life. Difficulties in this life can draw us closer to other believers as we share our trials and struggles with them and likewise. Our difficulties can be used to glorify God. So, today or the next time you find yourself against the trials of this life, remember what God does for you. Remember God’s Wonder Working Power!!!