2 Corinthians 1:v 8-10 – We do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, of the affliction we experienced in Asia; for we were so utterly, unbearably crushed that we despaired of life itself.  Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death so that we would rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead.  He who rescued us from so deadly a peril will continue to rescue us; on him we have set our hope that he will rescue us again,

Paul doesn’t elaborate here on the full extent of the affliction he and his team endured in Asia. But he does reveal the depth of their suffering—it was so overwhelming, so crushing, that they despaired of life itself.

“Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death so that we would rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead.” (2 Corinthians 1:9)

Their pain had a purpose: to shift their dependence away from themselves and toward the God who holds resurrection power. And God did not abandon them—He rescued them from that peril.

Let this be a reminder to us: in our darkest moments, when strength fails and hope seems distant, we are invited to rely not on ourselves, but on the One who raises the dead. God is our deliverer, even in the valley of despair.