The Way of Escape

“We should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead” (2 Corinthians 1:9). The apostle Paul wrote those words when he had hit rock bottom. He was saying, in essence, “The Lord brought me to the end of all human help. It was a place so hopeless that only the God of resurrection power could rescue me!”

God sometimes allows you to be driven to the very end of your rope, into deep suffering, so that you will lose all confidence in your ability to save yourself. What a wonderful place to be — at the end of your rope. But it doesn’t sound so wonderful, does it? Especially in a culture that has been spoon-fed the concept of self-sufficiency. We have countless volumes written on how to handle trouble, loneliness, sorrow, temptation. But it is all focused on our flesh, our ability to extricate ourselves from our difficulties.

Beloved, how many times have you tried to work out all your troubles by yourself? Maybe you have been flooded with temptations that overwhelmed you to the point that you cried out, “Oh, God, you know I love you with all my heart but I’m being sorely tempted. I despise this, Lord. I just don’t understand!”

I have learned a precious lesson through all my trials: I found the way of escape! “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it” (1 Corinthians 10:13).

What is this way of escape? It is coming to the end of your own strength and turning absolutely to God. It is saying, “I do not trust in myself anymore. God, I put everything on You and I trust you totally. I know you will end my suffering in your time and in your way!”