Paul, the apostle of Jesus Christ, was a man acquainted with trouble and suffering. But Paul never gave up his walk with God or his obedience to share the love of God revealed in Jesus Christ for our salvation.
Paul wrote “we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. 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 Cor. 1:8-10).
Paul says that they were in such trouble that they had given up on getting out alive. But he realised this happened that they might trust in God rather than trusting in themselves or others. Similarly, suffering can strengthen our character, producing righteousness and love.
In our journey of life, a variety of storms may strike us hard. The diagnosis of a terminal illness, the death of a loved one or being unexpectedly laid off may leave us wanting to run into the arms of someone we can trust. But we are adults and we must brave all circumstances alone, or must we?
The Bible encourages us to cast our cares on God because He cares for us (1 Peter 5:7). However, can we trust God with our concerns? In the Psalms we read, “Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous be shaken” (55:22). We can confidently turn to God knowing that He will sustain us; He will carry us through the storm.
When we are tired and burnt out we can turn to God knowing that we will find rest (Matt. 11:28). God is inviting you to cast your cares on Him. Paul’s life is a good example to learn from.