2 CORINTHIANS 1:3-11 – “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort. For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead.  He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again. You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many.”

THEME OF THE DAY: AT THE END OF OUR ROPES.  Ever heard the saying or even used it, “I am at the end of my rope?”  It comes from a farm animal tied to a rope that can walk no further once the rope runs out of length.  The meaning is to reach your absolute limit with stress, worry, or frustration.  Other sayings defining this overwhelmed condition are “at wit’s end”, “fed up”, and “out of patience.”

We may not have used the literal saying “I am at the end of my rope” but we all will get there, and that time and time again.  And pay attention to this . . . it is God who will take us there. He must. We need Him to do so because we have to know how weak we are in ourselves, and how completely dependent we are on God.

In today’s scripture, the Apostle Paul was taken to the end of his rope – “For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death” (2 Corinthians 1:8-9). He experienced complete helplessness along with much suffering – physically, emotionally, and spiritually.  Though helpless, he wasn’t hopeless and here is the lesson.

When we are at the end of our rope, what we find waiting for us is the sufficiency of God’s grace.  The Apostle would acknowledge this and confidently knew this was all of God to teach him and us lessons we cannot learn till we get to the end of ourselves . . .

“But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead.  He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again” (2 Corinthians 1:9-10).

So, when we are ready “to pull out our hair” because we are at the end of our rope, stop and praise the Lord instead.  He has taken us there to teach us invaluable lessons about Himself and ourselves.

PRAYER: Father, help me to see Your Hand in all my trials and that You are using them to teach me dependency.

REFLECTION:  When we are at the end of our rope, we have arrived at the point of learning God’s sufficient grace.