He on whom we have set our hope.

2 Corinthians 1:8-10, For we do not want you to be unaware, brethren, of our affliction which came to us in Asia, that we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life; indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves in order that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead; who delivered us from so great a peril of death, and will deliver us, He on whom we have set our hope.

There’s this idea running around that when a person comes to Christ, all his problems go away. And there is an ever more pernicious idea that if your problems don’t go away, then maybe your faith isn’t the real thing. Paul puts an end to that idea in this short reading. We don’t know the details, but it is clear that their circumstances were so dire that they had considered that there ministry end right there. The point being that He may indeed bring us to the end of ourselves, to the end of our own strength and possibilities in order to demonstrate His mighty strength! After all, He is the One who raises the dead!

Let us keep focused on You in whom we have set all our hope,, no matter what happens!