Charles Stanley Daily Devotional 21st May 2025 (In Touch) Wednesday Message
TOPIC: The Affliction of Paul
SCRIPTURE: 2 Corinthians 1:8-11
It’s easy to assume that problems in biblical days looked different from those we face today. So you might wonder what a first-century missionary can teach us about triumphing over adversity. Though Paul’s culture was quite different from ours, some things are the same—such as temptation, hardship, and sin. Therefore, when the apostle wrote of being burdened beyond his strength, he had experience to back up his words.
Paul “despaired even of life” (2 Cor. 1:8), but he trusted in a God who controls all things. He believed that the Lord would sustain him during difficult seasons. How could he be certain? Paul learned to trust God during affliction in the same way that we do: He was thrown into high-pressure situations with impossible odds, and yet he saw the Lord triumph. We understand divine power when we reach the limits of our own strength and feel God’s supernatural energy carry us through. That isn’t to say believers can avoid all sorrow and pain. Rather, we have the promise that God will meet our needs. Our faith grows stronger when we trust Him in times of affliction.
God’s strength is available to all believers who confess their weakness to Him. In effect, we give ourselves and our situation to God and wait for Him to keep His promise.
Bible in One Year: 2 Chronicles 32-34
THOUGHT FOR TODAY: The difficult season that drains your strength can also be the time when God’s fills you with His.
Dr. Charles F. Stanley was the founder of In Touch Ministries and a New York Times best-selling author. Throughout his ministry, he demonstrated a keen awareness of people’s needs and provided Christ-centered biblically based principles for everyday life