“We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed.” 2 Corinthians 4:8, 9
A recent newspaper article reported the story of a sad accident in a small town. When over 100 people gathered in a small room built over a garage, the floor gave way under the weight and the crowd fell through the splintered wood. While none was injured seriously, several received medical treatment for minor wounds. It was reported that onlookers rushed into the garage using strong beams in an attempt to brace up what was left of the floor, but their efforts proved futile.
Calvin Miller writes, “Christ is the grand overcomer. By receiving Jesus into our lives, we erect the inner bracing (emphasis mine) that enables us to withstand the pressure of all our outer circumstances…we gain the power to control life and not be crushed by it…”* The pressures of people, circumstances and perhaps even malicious evil threaten to destroy the foundations of life. Prolonged illness, extended periods of joblessness, betrayal by those we thought friends make us feel as though everything we trusted to provide stability has disappeared.
