Paul tells us instead there is a sovereign God who is over all things.  At the CROSS, our suffering fundamentally has meaning.  God is fundamentally up to something good, as we read in verse 9:

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.

Confusion is the opening thing to an invitation for change.  We see God push in with grace, and we receive the comfort of the Holy Spirit revealing the mercy and truth of God.  Here’s the problem. In our struggles when it all about me, I live in a hermeneutically sealed world.  Whatever happens to me just proves the darkness I feel.

Hope in Christ tells us a different story of Jesus who invades the dark world of our souls to turn on the light.  The invitation is to trust in the God who raises the dead.   This is not an abstract promise.  Jesus is the real and ready presence of God that meets the need of the moment.

The question is … is Jesus enough?  I am brought to see my heart as it is before God.  The fruit of trusting God is joy and gratitude, and endurance in God to satisfy our needs and bring calm to our soul.  For Paul his growing humility was seeing the effectiveness of prayer in the second part of vs 10 – 11:

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.

The prayers of the body of Christ were effectual in Paul life.  Our joy in God starts curiously with our troubles and mess, of God bringing through his redemption in our messy lives[2]

Let’s pray…

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