“For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ.” (2 Corinthians 1:5)
Pilots of high-performance aircraft must always guard against the physiological effects of multiple G-forces. G-forces (the force of gravity multiplied) increase for a pilot when his jet aircraft suddenly accelerates, lifts up from a dive, or turns steeply. They can cause a fatal loss of consciousness. This happens when G-forces drive blood from the brain to the lower half of the body. Blood deprivation of the brain or hypoxia initially causes a “brown out” (blurred or diminished vision), then a “black out” (total loss of vision), and finally a G-induced loss of consciousness, or “G-LOC” – a deadly situation for someone strapped to an aircraft roaring at supersonic speed.
To combat such fatal losses of consciousness, medical doctors and physiologists invented the G-Suit. It is a tight-fitted pair of pants with sewn-in bladders that inflate with gas or liquid. When powerful G-forces trigger a sensor, the G-suit counters hypoxia by squeezing the lower extremities and abdomen – preventing loss of blood from the brain. The greater the G-forces that cause a loss of consciousness – and death – the greater the G-suit reacts with pressure to keep the pilot conscious – and alive.
The abiding and indwelling Spirit of God is our G-Suit. The Spirit is the Christian believer’s God-Suit, that clothes him (Luke 24:49) and counters all the external forces of hell and tribulation that are hurled against us. Yes, whenever adversity and suffering abound in our lives, God’s presence counters it – with grace, strength, and divine comfort. Here in 2 Corinthians 1:5 Paul says that whatever the measure of adverse circumstances or spiritual opposition that floods our lives, God counters it with His comfort and grace. “Wherever sin abounded, there grace abounded all the more,” Paul wrote in Romans 5:20.
The greater the trials, the greater God’s comfort. The harder Satan presses, the stronger God’s abiding presence makes us. When Satan hurls his lies, God counters with His divine truth. This not only ensures our survival in tribulation. It means that we will not come forth from any trial empty-handed. When we emerge from the battle we will be forever enriched in our faith and our knowledge of God. To Satan we become a tougher and tougher foe. We will grow stronger with God’s strength and comfort. But our enemy grows weaker. So don’t dread the tribulations of life. For in them you’ll experience God’s presence by a greater measure than in any cathedral on earth.
REFLECTION
- Read Luke 4:1-14. How did Jesus emerge from His battle with Satan (v.14)?
- According to Romans 5:3-5, what effect does tribulation have on us?
- As James 1:2-3 tells us, let’s count it all joy when we encounter many trials.
