Verse of the Day

Today's Verse

Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead.

2 Corinthians 1:9 NKJV

Devotion

Sometimes, things get so bad that you think the end is near. It could be a health issue, and you actually think you’re going to die. It could be a financial issue, and you think you’re going to have to declare bankruptcy. Maybe your marriage is on the rocks, and you fully expect divorce papers to come in the mail. Or, your child has gotten into trouble with the law and you’re sure that a prison sentence is inevitable. There are many ways we might feel the “sentence of death” hanging over us like the Apostle Paul mentions in our verse for today.

Why does the Lord allow these extreme things to happen to us? They all essentially come from the consequences of sin in the world, but our verse for today mentions a reason that lies even behind that. They come “that we should not trust in ourselves but in God.” Sometimes, we have to come to the very brink of disaster in order to learn this lesson. Sometimes, we have to come to the end of our rope before we’re willing to admit that it is too much and cast the care into the hands of the Lord.

It’s foolish of us to hang on to our cares, but all too often we do it anyway. It’s foolish, and the Bible clearly tells us that we shouldn’t hang on to them. David, for example, said, “Cast your burden on the LORD, And He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved” (Psalm 55:22), and the Apostle Peter said, “Casting all your care upon him; for he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7). It’s foolish to hang on, then, because we have a God who is more than willing to help us.

Are you hanging on to your problem because you think that no one can help you? Stop it! You serve a God who can raise the dead. He can handle anything you’re going through. Nothing is impossible for Him (Luke 1:37). He is waiting for you to turn it over to Him so He can amaze you.