Higher than our Pains
Text: 2 Corinthians 1: 3-4, 8-11; 2 Corinthians 12: 9b-10
Intro:
No one would feel that sufferings are useful and necessary for us to go through.
You and I might pray that we would be spared from different kinds of trials and I believe that God doesn’t feel good while we are experiencing hardships. But why He allowed it to happen? It is because of His divine intentions.
I would like to give you three purposes why God allows His children to suffer:
I. To equip us to comfort others
1 Cor. 1:3-4 “3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.”
Why we need God’s comfort? It is because we live in the world full of troubles. Sufferings are real.
Jesus never promise a life without difficulties in this world instead he invites us to come to him when we are tired, weary and discouraged and he will give us rest.
People, happenings, money, vices (liquor, drugs) are things people could run to for help and comfort. It might help a little for a moment but only God can give us real comfort. Only God knows how to comfort us because He is the “Father of compassion and God of all comfort.”
When we receive comfort from Him, we are now able to comfort people who need comfort. He said in verse 4b, “ so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.”
II. to teach us to rely on God v.8-9
“8 We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters,[a] about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. 9 Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.” 2 Cor. 1:8-11
When we acquire success, when we are in good times, we often forget that we need God’s power and strength to help us. We only call God for help when things don’t go our way and we cannot bear them with our strength anymore. Paul said in verse 9, “but this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God…” Thank God for reminding us that we always need Him and He uses our troubles to make our hearts tuned for humility and not pride.
III. to display God’s power to rescue us. V. 10-11
10 He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us again. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, 11 as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many.
People don’t usually believe something without seeing anything. Thank God he revealed His power and care for His people by the time He rescued them from troubles. We are convince that our God is able to deliver us from any kind of trouble just as how he rescued His people from the bondage of Egypt. The parting of the Red Sea shows us that nothing is too difficult for God and nobody could harm His people because He is on our side. Thank God because He is not only way maker but also miracle worker and promise keeper. When God saves His people, His power and work will be displayed and seen by all people on this world.
Conclusion:
God makes no mistake. His move is always perfect, always the best. Sometimes we can hit two birds with one stone by God can hit millions of birds with one stone. One circumstance may serve different degrees purpose to different people. Sometimes we do not know His purpose, but one thing we know for sure is that God allows sufferings to happen to you and to me because His purpose is higher and eternal but our pains are temporal.
Therefore……Instead of complaining for the sufferings…. Learn from Paul, how he dealt with it…
He said in 2 Corinthians 12: 9b-10 "Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."
