Help #4—Hope-based Help

We were so afflicted in Asia, that we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life; indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves so that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead. … He on whom we have set our hope will deliver us. 2 Corinthians 1:8–10

We can fight despair with the knowledge that we won’t go to be with Jesus until the time is right. Only when our time on earth is through, will Jesus’ promise come true: “Those who are faithful to me will live even if they die.” Until then, we may often be close to dying—as Paul was—or we may be in such desperate straits that we hold no hope for finding our way out. But in all of these circumstances, we can be certain of delivery from every threat because our God “raises the dead.” Jesus himself had to wait until just the right time to die to rescue us from God’s wrath. Therefore, he certainly knows how to rescue us from less dire circumstances as well. In the meantime, the Lord uses these less drastic, yet more immediate, distressing situations as part of the way he delivers us from sin. For when we are clearly unable to extricate ourselves from physical danger on our own, we must more consciously entrust our lives to him, both immediately and for eternity. God means our knowledge of Christ’s death and resurrection to persuade us to trust him whenever trials come.

Eternal God, as I rest in your power to rescue me from death forever, keep me trusting in you for deliverance from all the dangers I encounter along the way to glory.