When things happen all sorts of rumours start, and no doubt the Corinthians had various reports on what had happened in Asia, so Paul now puts the record straight.
The situation was truly desperate. Paul and his companions were under such pressure that they thought death was imminent. The pressure was "far beyond" their ability to endure, and they thought they were about to die. Remember that this is Paul we are reading about, the greatest apostle ever.
Now we read what God's purpose was, He allowed these things to happen so that they would rely on Him alone. We need to understand that God is perfectly happy with putting us in situations which are way beyond our ability to cope with them. If you feel you are in such a situation just now do not worry, God has not lost control, He is in control. You see God's plan for all of us is that we live life in dependence upon Him, living not just out of our own abilities and resources, but together with His resources. This is what we are designed for, and what we walked away from when we rebelled against God. God knows that when we put our hand into His everything changes, every enemy melts away, every obstacle is overcome, every mountain moves.
Our God is the God who raised Christ from the dead. Amongst many other things, the cross proves that no situation is final, no situation proves that God is defeated. In Christ we can overcome all things.
Paul then goes on to say "God has rescued us and will continue to do so". Often when God has got us out of a situation our reaction is "thank goodness that's over", and we learn nothing. Paul has reacted differently. He has learnt that God is able to rescue him from all situations, even when he feels utterly defeated. We need to learn from the things that God does in our lives.
Paul closes the section by drawing attention to the importance of pray. Our prayers are more important than we ever imagine.
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