Ignorant of Our Trouble
“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; Ye also helping together by prayer for us, that
for the gift bestowed upon us by the means of many persons thanks may
be given by many on our behalf.” (2 Corinthians 1:8-11)
Today’s Morsel:
When we read the second letter of Paul to the Corinthians, we notice that
almost the entire book is dedicated to Paul sharing the calamities and
hardships he endured for this church. Beaten, stoned, shipwrecked,
imprisoned, rejected, falsely accused, and almost killed are just a few of the
things that he endured. Paul wanted them to know that it wasn’t all just
fun and games. "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," he said. Most people in the church are ignorant of
other’s troubles because we are afraid to share what God has delivered us
from. I am not saying that you should tell them every detail, but it may
be helpful to others to know of God’s delivering and changing power in your
life. I can remember in church services in "olden times,"
we had testimony service. People would stand and testify of what God
had delivered them from. Such things as prostitution, drug addiction,
attempted suicide, alcohol, abuse, robbery, gambling, murder, imprisonment,
adultery, witchcraft, hatred, prejudice, and the list went on. If we
don’t tell the church what God has delivered us from, what is that person who
comes to the church looking for deliverance going to do if they think that
everyone has always been Christians and that no one understands what they are
going through. If they think that everyone else has a life of ease and they are
the only ones with troubles, how will they know that God can be their strength
and see them through the trouble they are facing. Someone said
that being a Christian just means that God’s love, grace, and mercy found
me. And He will continue to be my sufficiency and strength.
Sing: I
was sinking deep in sin, far from the peaceful shore, very deeply stained
within sinking to rise no more. But the Master of the sea, heard my
despairing cry; From the waters lifted me, now safe am I.
Love lifted me, love
lifted me, when nothing else could help, love lifted me. Love lifted me,
love lifted me, when nothing else could help, love, lifted me.
Thought For Today:
Somebody ought to testify.
We still have testimony service in our church. Olden times have not left us yet.
ReplyDelete