{"id":17606,"date":"2021-09-27T22:00:51","date_gmt":"2021-09-28T05:00:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/2corinthians-11_16-33-copy\/"},"modified":"2021-09-17T16:24:14","modified_gmt":"2021-09-17T23:24:14","slug":"2corinthians-12_1-10","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/2corinthians-12_1-10\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Face Trouble That Won\u2019t Go Away"},"content":{"rendered":"

2 Corinthians 12:1-10\u00a0 Click here for Bible Verses<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Hi GAMErs,<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s passage is 2 Corinthians 12:1-10.\u00a0\u00a0Let\u2019s go!<\/p>\n

2 Corinthians 12:1-6 (NIV)<\/em><\/strong>
\n1\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0I must go on boasting. Although there is nothing to be gained, I will go on to visions and revelations from the Lord.
\n2\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know–God knows.
\n3\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0And I know that this man–whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows–
\n4\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0was caught up to paradise. He heard inexpressible things, things that man is not permitted to tell.
\n5\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses.
\n6\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say.<\/em><\/p>\n

On verses 1-6:\u00a0\u00a0Why does Paul go on boasting even though \u201cthere is nothing to be gained\u201d (v1) by it?\u00a0\u00a0It\u2019s because the Corinthian Christians have kept on comparing Paul to the \u201csuper apostles\u201d who make all sorts of boasts about how spiritual they are and how accomplished they are.\u00a0\u00a0The church in Corinth was starting to lose confidence in Paul and look down on him, since he wasn\u2019t in the habit of flaunting his resume the way the super apostles would.\u00a0\u00a0So to put the matter the rest and to show that Paul is not the least bit \u201cinferior to the \u2018super apostles\u2019\u201d, Paul shares about the powerful spiritual experiences he has had with the Lord in the past.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The man he refers to in verses 2-4 is himself.\u00a0\u00a0Paul clearly feels out of place doing this and would much prefer to boast about his weaknesses than to boast about his past spiritual experiences (v5).<\/p>\n

What can we learn from this?\u00a0\u00a0When at all possible, it is best to keep silent and not get into quarrels with others, but there also comes a point when it is important to defend yourself against your critics and to stand up for yourself.\u00a0\u00a0Paul\u2019s actions here show that\u00a0being a Christian does not mean that you must be a doormat for others to step on all the time.\u00a0\u00a0Part of being confident and humble in Christ is about serving others and not doing or saying things for your own glory.\u00a0\u00a0But another part of being confident and humble in Christ is taking a stand for yourself and for those you love when necessary.<\/strong><\/p>\n

2<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>Corinthians<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>12<\/em><\/strong>:7 (NIV)\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>
\n7\u00a0<\/sup><\/em>To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.<\/em><\/p>\n

On verse 7:\u00a0\u00a0Paul is much more comfortable boasting about his weaknesses and limitations than boasting about his strengths and accomplishments.\u00a0\u00a0So here we see Paul sharing about quite possibly his biggest weakness.\u00a0\u00a0Despite how close Paul was to Jesus Christ, there was a struggle in Paul\u2019s life that was so painful and persistent he called it a \u201cthorn in the flesh\u201d.\u00a0 What exactly was that thorn in the flesh?\u00a0 Was it a physical illness or a handicap?\u00a0 Was it a person who kept pestering him?\u00a0 Was it a temptation that he kept encountering?\u00a0 We don\u2019t know.\u00a0 All we know is that it was such a difficult struggle for Paul that he described it as “torment”, something that caused him great frustration, pain and suffering.\u00a0 And no matter how much Paul prayed, for some reason God would never take that thorn away.\u00a0\u00a0I respect Paul\u2019s leadership and how willing he was to be real with his congregation about his struggles.<\/p>\n

What do you do when you face trouble that won\u2019t seem to go away?\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0How do you experience God’s power in your weakness?\u00a0\u00a0In verses 8-10 below, we will learn three things you can do when you face trouble that won\u2019t seem to go away<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

2<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>Corinthians<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>12<\/em><\/strong>:8 (NIV) \u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>
\n8\u00a0<\/sup><\/em>Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.<\/em><\/p>\n

On verse 8:\u00a0\u00a0When Paul faced trouble that wouldn\u2019t go away, he would keep going back into God\u2019s presence and ask God for help and strength (\u201cThree times I pleaded with the Lord\u201d).\u00a0\u00a0What can we learn from this?\u00a0\u00a0The first thing to do when you\u2019re facing trouble that won\u2019t go away is\u00a0spend time in God\u2019s presence regularly<\/strong>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

In my most stressful times, when it seems like a problem won\u2019t go away, nothing helps me more than getting into the presence of God. After I\u2019ve spent time in God\u2019s presence, my circumstances might not have changed, but my heart to face those circumstances will often have changed.<\/p>\n

Are you spending time in God\u2019s presence regularly?\u00a0 One of God\u2019s greatest presents is His presence!\u00a0 So access that gift often.<\/p>\n

2 Corinthians 12:9 (NIV)<\/em><\/strong>
\n9\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0But he said to me,\u00a0“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”\u00a0Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me<\/em>.<\/p>\n

On verse 9a:\u00a0\u00a0The second thing you do when you\u2019re facing trouble that will not go away is:\u00a0\u00a0Listen for God\u2019s Word<\/strong>.\u00a0\u00a0When Paul took the time to listen to God, God spoke a word into Paul\u2019s heart to help him overcome the trouble in his life.\u00a0\u00a0As he writes in verse 9,\u00a0“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”<\/em><\/p>\n

God is often speaking to us.\u00a0 The question is: are we listening? When you listen to God\u2019s Word, it puts faith and wisdom in your heart to face the challenge in front of you.<\/p>\n

How do you know if you are hearing from God, or if it\u2019s just your own idea?\u00a0 4 clues: (1) It\u2019s consistent with Scripture (God will never say anything that contradicts His own written word); (2) It promotes the character of Christ in you (i.e. it\u2019s encouraging you to live, think and act more like Jesus); (3) It is accompanied by God\u2019s peace; and (4) It is affirmed by spiritual leaders in your life.<\/p>\n

2 Corinthians 12:9b-10 (NIV)<\/strong>
\n9\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0\u2026Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.<\/em>
\n10\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0That is why, for Christ’s sake, I\u00a0delight<\/u>\u00a0in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.<\/em><\/p>\n

On verse 9b-10: The third thing to do when you face trouble that will not go away is:\u00a0\u00a0Delight in the trouble.\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0How weird is that?\u00a0 Who delights in their trouble?\u00a0 Yet that\u2019s what Paul says in verses 9b-10:\u00a0\u00a0\u201c<\/em>9\u00a0<\/sup><\/em>\u2026Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.\u00a010\u00a0<\/sup>That is why, for Christ’s sake,\u00a0I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

How can Paul \u201cdelight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties\u201d?\u00a0 By seeing his suffering not as punishment from God, but as an opportunity for God to show His power through Paul\u2019s life.<\/p>\n

Similarly,\u00a0see your trouble not as a curse or a punishment from God, but as an opportunity for God to display His power in and through your life.\u00a0\u00a0That\u2019s what it means to delight in the trouble.<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0If you will respond to trouble in the right way, God will use that difficulty to refine you (make you stronger), remind you (that earth is not your final home, but heaven is) and reveal His power through your life.<\/p>\n

Like Paul, may you spend time in God\u2019s presence (v8), listen for His voice (v9), and see your trouble with eyes of faith, as an opportunity for God to show His power (v9b-10).\u00a0\u00a0No matter what trouble you are in today, remember that God\u2019s grace is sufficient for you.<\/p>\n

Heavenly Father, I hang on to You today.\u00a0\u00a0May I have ears to hear what You are saying.\u00a0\u00a0Please help me to see the trouble I am in as an opportunity for Your power to be displayed.\u00a0\u00a0Thank You that Your grace is always sufficient for me, no matter what trouble I am in.\u00a0\u00a0In Jesus\u2019 name, AMEN!<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hi GAMErs,<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s passage is 2 Corinthians 12:1-10.\u00a0\u00a0Let\u2019s go!<\/p>\n

2 Corinthians 12:1-6 (NIV)
\n1\u00a0\u00a0I must go on boasting. Although there is nothing to be gained, I will go on to visions and revelations from the Lord.
\n2\u00a0\u00a0I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know–God knows.
\n3\u00a0\u00a0And I know that this man–whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows–
\n4\u00a0\u00a0was caught up to paradise. He heard inexpressible things, things that man is not permitted to tell.
\n5\u00a0\u00a0I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses.
\n6\u00a0\u00a0Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say.<\/p>\n

On verses 1-6:\u00a0\u00a0Why does Paul go on boasting even though \u201cthere is nothing to be gained\u201d (v1) by it?\u00a0\u00a0It\u2019s because the Corinthian Christians have kept on comparing Paul to the \u201csuper apostles\u201d who make all sorts of boasts about how spiritual they are and how accomplished they are.\u00a0\u00a0The church in Corinth was starting to lose confidence in Paul and look down on him, since he wasn\u2019t in the habit of flaunting his resume the way the super apostles would.\u00a0\u00a0So to put the matter the rest and to show that Paul is not the least bit \u201cinferior to the \u2018super apostles\u2019\u201d, Paul shares about the powerful spiritual experiences he has had with the Lord in the past.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":17608,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17606","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-gametime-sharing"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17606","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17606"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17606\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17607,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17606\/revisions\/17607"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/17608"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17606"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17606"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17606"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}