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. 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. 2 Corinthians 1:8-9
Are you still under the impression that God won’t give you more than you can handle? How do you account for Paul’s statement here? Beyond our strength? Ability? Stretched to the point that they thought they were going to die?
Have you encountered that type of despair? Why would God allow such a predicament for those that He loves, and cares about? The answer is then included. How much do you rely upon yourself when crisis hits HARD?
When you ‘walk’ with Him He will lead you into places ONLY He can extricate you from. Why? The same reason Paul gave to his readers. How do you break the pride and bravado of human kind? Do you think you have no pride within you now? The first deception is ourselves believing the lie and then convincing ourselves the lie is correct, thus deceiving ourselves. Then to convince ourselves that we ARE correct we then try to get others to believe the same lie we believed. This is a VERY old pattern that we can find at the very beginning of Genesis, and that pattern is repeated throughout history. It is one of the oldest strategy the enemies of God use. Why? Because it is extremely effective.
God WANTS relationship with us, but lies, pride, and sin He will not tolerate in His Presence. So how can He help us work towards that deeper more meaningful relationship with Him? By showing us we can’t do really anything without Him. This can be a very painful and long drawn out life lesson, depending on how rooted our pride is, and how entrenched within us are the lies we have believed. We may have to be taken to the very end of ourselves — to the point of despair for our very lives. Then when we finally acknowledge Him and our ‘need’ for Him at the end of ourselves – He then can show us who exactly who He is in our lives.
Those kinds of experiences are refining processes that show us what really is within us. When faced with imminent death — what do we really believe? Whom do we really know? Where our faith actually lies. Paul was a Pharisee of the Pharisees. He had degrees upon degrees of education for that time. He was SO prideful in his education he ASKED the spiritual leaders if he could lead the project of going after ANY believers in Jesus (The Way). He then stood by and watched them tortured and even them being killed (Steven / Acts 7 & 8). Paul had to have his pride taken to the place where God had to show him at the point of the possibility of his own end — that his pride meant nothing …in regards to God. How far will God have to take you?
Here is where the Holy Spirit should enter the conversation. That intimate relationship with Him in guidance, direction, instruction, and repentance. The Holy Spirit showing the way we are to go.
And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. And when they had come up to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. Acts 16:6-7
Does the Holy Spirit ever tell you “No”? Does He ever direct you to go another way? Are we different now than the disciples were then? Does us having the ‘printed’ Word of God now make the direction of the Holy Spirit no longer needed? He can help us by reminding us what the Word says that correlates to the situation we are currently in .. but that is STILL Him directing us. It IS still His Voice within us that shows us … the way.
What is He saying to you today?