"8We 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.9Indeed, 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 1:8-9)
Paul mentions that they "[D]espaired of life itself." Paul's current curveball was a threat on his own life and as he mentions, he "[F]elt we had received the sentence of death." But this was not something he and his companions were going to see as a complete tragedy, but a trial. Looking at the second half of verse 9, we see Paul realizes "This happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead." Everything happens for a reason. That trial you're going through, give it to God. Rely on him to fix it in His way and in His timing; it won't always be in the expected way. God has the ability to raise the dead so, why is it you're keeping your problems from Him? Why is it you're relying on yourself and your intellect when you can't see the full picture as God can? Stop holding on to that circumstantial mentality towards Jesus and no matter what the circumstance, give it to God. Keep joy in God by always finding stability and a constant in Him as the world is always throwing new changes at you.
