“Under great pressure.” Can you identify with that? We all know the feeling when it seems the weight of the world is upon us. We can’t imagine how we’ll ever get through. We may even reach the point of thinking we would rather die and be done with it than have to endure any longer.
“But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God.” Paul’s explanation is ours, too. Of course, we do not know all the workings of God’s purposes in allowing suffering in our lives, pain that even takes us to the breaking point. However, we can always know we are to rely on Him and not ourselves while going through it. That is the reason we can accept whatever circumstances we are in: God is with us.
“On Him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us” (v. 10b). God is your hope and your deliverer, not just now in this situation. He was there in the past, and He will continue to be with you in the future. He who Himself raised Jesus from the dead can bring us out of the despairing, crushing circumstances we face.