Even in "This"

One night this past week I woke up with a doozy of a case of heartburn, officially called acid reflux. Ouch, those tasty ribs I enjoyed at dinner came back to bite me. New rule, I guess: no more ribs for me. Another ouch. On top of that, I had a bad dream, maybe related to the heartburn, who knows. So a pretty tough night, but, here is what I have learned: even in that, God can work, or at least in spite of that, God can work. My tough night did not  have to define the new day.

As I am processing some things about my father’s death even while involved in the details of settling various aspects of his affairs, I am finding what my reading always told me: grief work is often a messy journey with an irregular and unpredictable course. And my reading also told me this will likely be true for a good long time. But here is what I have learned: even in this, God can work and heal and teach and bring change that I need.

Another element of my life does not look like it is going that well right now. (This unnamed element is not, by the way, my marriage, which is of great encouragement to me.) But this is what I have learned: God allows plenty of challenges, disappointments, and even some moments of despair, so we will learn deeper dependence on him.

Paul said it this way:

Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. (2 Cor. 1:9)

Life can bring heartburn, pain, and challenge. But there is a powerful and faithful God who is at work in it all. 

Scripture

2 Cor. 1:3-11

3Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. 5For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. 6If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. 7And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.

8We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. 9Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. 10He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, 11as 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.