Read: 2 Corinthians 1-3
Second Corinthians is the second letter that Paul the Apostle wrote to the church in Corinth, and a lot has happened since the first letter. Between these letters, Paul experienced hardship, opposition, and strained relationships with the Corinthians, but also reconciliation and renewed connection with many of them. This letter carries both encouragement and defense of his ministry, but it begins with something very personal, comfort in suffering.
Paul starts by praising God, not because life is easy, but because God meets us in the middle of what is hard.
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God … For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ … And our hope for you is firm…” -2 Corinthians 1:3–7
This sets the tone. The comfort that we receive from God is not meant to stop with us. It flows through us or illuminates from us. What God walks us through is often the very thing He uses to help someone else.
Paul then gets very real about how heavy things became for him.
“Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.” -2 Corinthians 1:9
That line matters. We should not rely on ourselves, but on God! Too often we default to ourselves. I know I do! I also have found myself relying on others more than God: my husband, friends, family, my college therapist. We try to fix things, carry things, control things, when in reality we were never meant to hold that weight. God is all powerful, and we are not. We fall short, we get overwhelmed, and we reach our limits quickly. But that is exactly where dependence on God begins.
This is why time with Him matters so much. Just like a seed will not grow without being watered, your relationship with God will not grow without intentional time in His Word and in prayer. You cannot expect closeness with God if you are not actually spending time with Him.
Paul reminds us where our confidence actually comes from.
“Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God.” -2 Corinthians 3:5
Everything that we have, everything we are able to do, comes from Him. Even the ability to understand Scripture, to speak truth, to encourage others, that is not something we produce on our own. It is God working through us. This blog is not me; it is God. If you’re a member of the Cx3 Moms Facebook group, that’s not me, that is God. The Holy Spirit has worked in and through me.
Next, we come to one of the most well-known verses in this chapter.
“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” -2 Corinthians 3:17
This is not just a feel-good statement. It is a reality of what happens when we truly surrender to God. When we recognize His holiness, admit our sin, believe in Him, and turn away from our old ways, we are changed. Repentance leads to transformation. Like a caterpillar that goes into a cocoon, it cannot come out a caterpillar, and it shouldn’t try to continue living as one. It needs to spread its wings, fly, and thrive as a butterfly.
In that transformation, we are given the Holy Spirit. Not just as a concept, but as a real presence in our lives, shaping our thoughts, guiding our actions, convicting us, and leading us. That is where freedom comes from. Not from doing whatever we want, but from being released from the hold that sin once had on us. Breaking free! The chains, the patterns, the weight, all of it begins to lose its grip because of what Jesus has done. He died for our sins. We are not rescuing ourselves. We have already been rescued by Him who loves us.
Discussion Questions
- How can what God has walked you through be used to help someone else?
- Where in your life are you relying on yourself, or someone else, instead of depending on God?
Connect with the Author
A Note from the Author
Hello everyone,
I wanted to take a moment to share a bit about the Bible verse studies, devotionals, and prayers that I put together. While I strive to offer meaningful insights and reflections, it’s important to clarify that I am not a trained or licensed biblical professional. My goal is not to provide expert theological advice but to share my personal knowledge, beliefs, and experiences as I read and reflect on the Holy Bible.
The insights I offer come from my own understanding and spiritual journey. I approach these reflections with the intention of sharing what personally resonates with me, what I’ve learned through my own study of Scripture, and what the Holy Spirit is sharing through me. I hope these thoughts are helpful and encouraging, but they are based on my personal perspective rather than formal theological training.
This specific Bible study is based off the book A Beautiful Year in the Bible The 52-Week Bible Study for Women by a series of wonderful authors Copyrighted by Alabaster Creative Inc. I do not own the rights to this book and am not claiming to. I am using the book to create my own version of the Bible in 365 days and continue to direct God’s word towards women, more specifically mothers.
Thank you for your understanding and for joining me in this journey of faith and reflection.
Blessings,
Maria Wilcoxon
*The header image is not mine and was taken from Pinterest
Leave a comment