Delivered from Death
Back in the late 1970s, I still lived at home with my parents. It was the day before Christmas, and my dad and I had made a trip to a local store to pick up some last-minute items. I remember that as we were driving home, the roads were snow-covered.
About a mile or two from home we were rounding a curve when I looked ahead and saw another car coming toward me and it was across the center line. I immediately began to slow down and edge my way toward the shoulder of the road. But we were crossing a small stream and the guardrails left almost no room to get off the road.
When the oncoming driver saw us, she panicked and applied the brakes. Those of you who live in snow country know exactly what happened without me saying more. When the driver applied the brakes, she lost control of the car and it headed straight for us. If she had just left off the accelerator and gently steered to the right, I think she could’ve avoided hitting us.
By that time, I had come to a complete stop, just inches from the guardrail. There was nothing else to do but sit and wait for the impact. There was a loud crash and the jolt of the impact. The hood of the car flew up, blocking our vision. Fortunately, my dad and I weren’t seriously injured. The other driver wasn’t either, but I think she was treated for shock.
It’s amazing! Something like this, that unfolds in just a few seconds, can seem to take a long time. My point is, that there was absolutely nothing I could do to avoid it.
Have you faced circumstances beyond your control? Situations where it seemed to you there was no way out? Perhaps it looked so hopeless that you despaired of any positive outcome. When you reach that point, it can be so hard to remember the promises of God.
The apostle Paul faced numerous situations where he despaired of life itself. In our continuing study of his second letter to the Corinthians, we’ll look at one of those situations and how the apostle responded. I’ve titled today’s teaching, “Delivered from Death,” and it’s taken from Second Corinthians 1:8 to 14. Listen now as I read these words from Holy Scripture.
In these verses, we see the several MEANS by which we are delivered from death to live with confidence.
The First MEANS (by which we are delivered from death) is,
By Divine Intervention
In our previous study from verses three through seven, Paul reminded his readers that God’s comfort was sufficient for any trouble or affliction they would face. To drive home the point, he shares a personal experience with them.
He refers to something that happened to him in Asia. He isn’t specific, so we don’t really know what he was referring to, but perhaps the Corinthians did. Maybe it was the mob in Ephesus, Priscilla and Aquilla risking their lives for his, or the death threats that led to his hasty departure from Ephesus. At any rate, these weren’t just mild irritations!
The word-picture here is of something pressed out of measure, a crushing burden, unable to be carried under normal circumstances. It was so heavy, so grievous, that Paul even despaired of his life! The Greek word literally means “no passage.” Paul saw no way out! And even though this experience w...
