What you know is what may confront you. If you don't know what to do, you will collapse when life's turbulence and tsunamis hit. However, if our lives are founded on the fundamental truth of the Bible, there are a few enduring truths that we are aware of.
1) The Good News in the Bad Times.
Did Jesus suffer? Was he occasionally alone? Was he inclined to give up? Was he misunderstood, vilified, and unfairly criticized?
Sure enough! Because God is forming us into the character of Christ, he must lead us through all of the life experiences through which he took Christ. As a result, no one is exempt from suffering, loneliness, discouragement, or unfair criticism.
Does this imply that God causes tragedies? No. God is good and will never do or cause evil. But God can make good use of difficult and dark times. He will use them to teach us to trust him, demonstrate how to assist others, and bring us closer to believers.
“We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and we thought we would never live through it,” the Bible says in 2 Corinthians 1:8b–9. We were going to die. However, as a result, we learned to rely solely on God, who raises the dead, and stopped relying on ourselves.
So, what should you do when you're having trouble?
First and foremost, you refuse to give up. Then you remember that God is by your side. Last but not least, you rely on God's protection and direction.
We all experience trying times. The presence of the Light, not the absence of the shadow, makes the difference for followers of Jesus.
Bible study:
Brothers and sisters, we would like to bring to your attention the difficulties we encountered in Asia. We gave up all hope of surviving because the burdens placed on us were so great and heavy. We had the impression that we had been handed the death penalty. However, this occurred so that we should solely rely on God, who raises the dead, rather than on ourselves.
2) Do not give in to your fears, as stated in 2 Corinthians 1:8–9.
Don't give in to your fears because God is looking out for you. This is up for grabs. Don't give in to your fears—trust God.
“From such undeserved dangers of death, he saved us and will always save us, as we have placed all our hope in him that he will save us all over again,”. 2 Corinthians 1:10.
If we love and follow God, his promise to believers is that no matter what happens to us, he is working for our good. The Bible says that everything is working together for good, not that everything is good, but that they are working together for good if you are a believer.
This means that we can stop worrying. A believer's life is filled with difficulties, dilemmas, defeats, and disasters that God cannot ultimately use for good. The future should not be feared.
Wherever you do not trust God, your fears show. Make a list of your fears today and ask God for help figuring out why you're afraid of those things. Then, ask him to assist you in developing trust rather than fear.
Now, the following action is crucial: With each fear, God will begin assisting you in learning to trust him. Then, observe how he assists you.
Bible study:
We have placed our hope in him that he will save us again, and he saved us from such terrible dangers of death (2 Corinthians 1:10).
3) Never Doubt the Light
Hold fast to God's unchanging character regardless of your circumstances or feelings.
According to 2 Corinthians 1:12, "Now that the worst has passed, we're pleased we can report that we've come out of this with conscience and faith intact and that we can face the world — and even more importantly, face you with our heads held high." However, there was no fancy footwork on our part. God was the one who unwaveringly kept us focused on him.
God's character cannot be altered by your circumstances. Grace from God continues to flow freely; Even when you don't feel it, he is still there for you.
Remind yourself of the eternal truths you know about God: He is trustworthy, he loves you, he is with you, he understands what you are going through, he cares about you, and he has a good plan for your life.
Billy Graham's mentor Raymond Edman once advised, "Never doubt in the dark what God told you in the light."
Therefore, what has God revealed to you in the light that you now question in the shadows? Why do you believe you now doubt God? Keep in mind that God's character cannot be altered by your circumstances.
Bible study:
Our conscience assures us, with pride, that God-given honesty and sincerity, the power of God's grace, and not human wisdom, have ruled our worldly lives and especially our relationships with you.
4) Your suffering frequently reveals God's purpose, 2 Corinthians 1:12.
God's plan for you is frequently revealed by your pain. God doesn't waste any pain! He wants you to assist others who are going through the same pain if you have been hurt. He requests that you share it. God can give you a ministry opportunity by utilizing the challenges in your life. The very thing in your life that makes you feel the most shame and resentment could end up being your greatest ministry of helping other people.
Someone who has gone through bankruptcy is the best person to assist someone going through bankruptcy. Someone who has struggled with addiction is the best person to assist someone in need. Parents who have raised special needs children are the best people to assist parents of special needs children. Who better to assist a childless person than a childless person?
God intends to use for your benefit the very thing in your life that you detest the most.
According to verses 4 and 6 of 2 Corinthians 1, "God comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others," We are burdened with difficulties for your comfort and salvation! We will undoubtedly offer you comfort if we can do so for you. Then you can endure the same things with patience.
The term for this is "redemptive suffering." When you go through a problem or pain for the benefit of others, you experience redemptive suffering.
Jesus carried out this act. Jesus was not deserving of his death on the cross. He endured that suffering so that you could be saved and go to heaven.
Your life's issues, pain, and suffering are the result of many different factors. Sometimes what happens is something you cause. When you make poor decisions, your life suffers as a result. You can't say, "God, why did you let me lose my house?" if you go out and spend too much, buy things you can't afford, and hope for the best. Then you go into deep debt and lose your house. You cannot attribute your poor choices to God.
However, you are not to blame for some of your issues. The suffering, stupidity, and sins of other people have hurt you. Additionally, some of your life's pain serves as redemption for suffering. God frequently allows us to overcome difficulties to assist others.
Bible study:
He assists us in all of our difficulties so that we can assist others with a variety of difficulties by utilizing the same assistance we have received from God.
4 of 2 Corinthians.
Our suffering is for your salvation and assistance; If you are helped, you will also be helped and given the strength to endure our sufferings with patience.
5) The Power of Group Prayer, 2 Corinthians 1:6
You need to get other people to pray for you to get through what you're going through.
When you work with a small group, this is a breeze. You are unprotected when you are going through a difficult time and you are not in a small group. Because you don't have people praying for you, you don't have the strength of a small group.
In 2 Corinthians 1:11, the Bible says, "You are assisting us by praying for us." After that, a lot of people will express their gratitude to God for answering so many prayers for our safety.
Let me tell you the truth: I have no idea how this works. However, group prayer has additional power over individual prayer that is absent. Group prayer has greater power than individual prayer for one's benefit.
According to the Bible, "If any two agree as to anything, it shall be done" and "Where two or more are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them" are two of the most important statements.
To get through what you're going through, you need that strength. You need to be in a small group because of this. You need to ask them to pray for you because of this.
"Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ," the Bible says in Galatians 6:2 (NIV). What exactly is Christ's law? Love the person next to you. You are loving your neighbor as yourself when you pray for others. They love you as themselves when they pray for you.
Bible study.
As you assist us through your prayers for us. As a result, numerous prayers for us will be granted, we will receive blessings, and numerous people will express gratitude to God.
Help one another bear one another's burdens in 2 Corinthians 1:11, and you will obey Christ's law.
Galatians 6:2 says that Christians must prepare for their Christian lives.
Remain blessed.
Please share and touch other people's lives.