KNOWING GOD THROUGH PIVOTAL CIRCUMSTANCES

August 9, 2018

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. 2 Corinthians 1:9 NIV

Paul lived an incredible life. Not a moment was boring. Nothing was ever wasted. He had high adventure, positions of prominence, risk, danger, and great success. He also had moments of extreme pain and disappointment. In his second letter to his friends in the city of Corinth, he recounted for them that he had encountered such stress, danger, and pressure that he didn’t think he would survive.

That’s the kind of situation that never leaves us the same. These are moments, forks in the road, valleys of decision. Moments when you have to choose whether to trust God or go your own way. When you choose to trust God in those pivotal circumstances, your faith in God will skyrocket.

That’s what Paul discovered and shared with his friends. He discovered in the most difficult moments, and the most wonderful moments as well, that nothing in his life was random or meaningless. Everything served a purpose. In this most trying and difficult time, he learned to rely on God in a new way. When he did, he knew Him in a deep and meaningful way, and he experienced for himself that his God was the God who raised the dead!

In our own human relationships, we understand that we know each other more deeply after we have gone through challenging or celebrating circumstances with each other. These moments are pivotal. So it is with God. In our journeys, nothing is wasted. God intends every event to open a door to deeper knowledge of our Father who loves us.

  • When we know God deeply, we can trust Him. That enables us to go through the roller coaster of life without giving up. When have you gone through a trying time that resulted in you knowing God more deeply?
  • What joyful time have you experienced that deepened your knowledge of and love for God?
  • Thank God for the way your journey is helping you know Him.
  • Determine to trust Him with the situation you’re in right now.