I don’t know about you, but I am tired of this pandemic. I am so ready for it to be over. I am ready to fly again, to visit families, and don’t want to hear any more sad or frightening news. The psychologists are comparing this generation with those that went through great wars like World War I and World War II. Every day brings more and more bad news; there is no relief in sight. We are tired, downhearted, and broken. It may be 2024 or later when we’ll finally return to normality if there ever will be such a thing. The good old days may have gone forever.?
Perplexed, but not in despair
The apostle Paul can relate: flogged, imprisoned, left to die, beaten with 39 lashes five times, beaten with Roman rods three times, shipwrecked three times, and faced dangers from rivers, bandits, fellow Jews, Gentiles, cities, rural areas, seas, and false teachers (2 Cor 11:23–26). He might have been tempted to say, “I can’t take it any more. I want these sufferings to end.”?
But those were not his thoughts. Instead, he wrote, “While hard-pressed on every side, we are not crushed; while perplexed, we are not in despair; while persecuted, we are not abandoned or deserted; while struck down, we are not destroyed” (2 Cor 4:8–9; author’s translation). How could Paul say those words? Where did he get such strength?
You see, he understood something about God’s power and workings. Whereas we treasure our greatest possessions in vaulted safes, God keeps his treasures in fragile clay jars, only so that he can guard them with his power (2 Cor 4:7). Forgive the analogy—the picture is that of a powerful and vicious dragon guarding his gold. The fragility of the pot doesn’t matter when the guardian of the treasure is mighty. God puts his treasures in clay jars—people—only so that he can guard them with his might. As such, the clay pots can say, “While hard-pressed on every side, we are not crushed.”?
Think of those words: clay jars hard-pressed on every side and not crushed. Impossible. Ceramics are not known for their strength but fragility. A ceramic pot, when pressed on all sides, is bound to break and crush whatever is inside. But not when God guards it. Then, even the most fragile of ceramics is stronger than platinum-plated gold vaults with mechanical and electric locks.?
Paul wasn’t a superman—those sufferings did perplex him. He might have wondered, “Why, Lord? After all, I am working for you. I am serving you. Why these sufferings?” Perplexed, but not in despair. Ultimately, he knew God was in control. As he said elsewhere, “To those who love God, God works together with them to make everything good for them” (Rom 8:28a; author’s translation).?
We too may be perplexed wondering how long will this pandemic go on. Is there no end? What about those millions who have lost and will lose their lives because we couldn’t act in time or fight uniformly? Will my family members overseas die before I can see them and say goodbye? While we are perplexed, we must also remember God is in control. The God of Israel neither sleeps nor slumbers (Ps 121:4). So, although perplexed, we are not in despair.?
Pursued, but not abandoned
The word “persecution” can also mean “pursued”. When trouble arose in Thessalonica and the Christians sent Paul to Berea, the troublemakers followed him to Berea and caused him trouble (Acts 17:10–13). They pursued him until he was sent away to Athens (vv. 14–15). Whether persecuted or pursued, Paul wasn’t abandoned. He knew that the Lord was with him every step of the way. Whether he stayed or left or was even imprisoned, the Lord was with him; he was never abandoned.?
Even in this pandemic, as nations scramble to find solutions, vaccinations, medicines, and oxygen tanks, God hasn’t abandoned the people. He is with them even in the darkest of times, even at one’s deathbed. A friend of mine died of COVID-19. The last words he whispered to his family were, “Isaiah 12:2.” His family read it after his death: “Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, the LORD himself, is my strength and my defence; he has become my salvation” (NIV). Pursued, but not abandoned.?
Struck down, but not destroyed
To be “beaten with 39 lashes five times, beaten with Roman rods three times” is a mere outline of what Paul went through. “While struck down, we are not destroyed.” Nowhere is this more vivid than in Paul’s time at Lystra (Acts 14:8–20). There, the people saw the miracle Paul and Barnabas performed, heard their speech, and concluded they were gods in flesh. Paul and Barnabas convinced them otherwise. Then, the Jews from Antioch in Pisidia came and roused the crowd to rebel against Paul. As a result, “They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead” (Acts 14:19b NIV). Struck down. But Paul didn’t stay down. Like an undefeated boxer, before the final bell rang, he struggled back on his feet and walked back into the city (14:20). Struck down, but not destroyed.?
COVID or life’s struggles might strike us down, again and again. But like undefeated boxers, we can crawl back on our knees and finally stand tall because we will not be destroyed by any of these. As the Lord said to Martha, “The one who believes in me will live, even though they die” (John 11:25b NIV). Diseases, financial crises, family struggles, political unrest, and so on, might strike us down, again and again, but they will never destroy us! They never can.?
Trials in life make us weak in the flesh but strong in the Lord. We are weak pots, clay vessels. But we hold the greatest treasure of the Lord Jesus in our hearts. As such, God protects us with his eternal and mighty power. Whatever crushes us or tries to squeeze the life out of us will fail. “While hard-pressed on every side, we are not crushed; while perplexed, we are not in despair; while persecuted, we are not abandoned or deserted; while struck down, we are not destroyed” (2 Cor 4:8–9). ?
For Discussion
- Can you think of and name one or two positive things that happened to you during this pandemic?
- How was God’s grace sufficient in times of your need?
