2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (NIV)

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.

I love the message conveyed in our Verse of the Day. We are reminded that God is the originator of compassion, and He is the source of all comfort. As we experience and process the human emotions that come with hardship and suffering, we find God is present with us to comfort us in the midst of them. God does not remove the emotions from our experience; rather, He works through them to bring us closer to Himself so that our faith, endurance, and hope rest in Father God alone….

I want to share a larger portion of the text in order to see the broader context of suffering and comfort that Paul is expressing here:

2 Corinthians 1:3-11 (New Living Translation)

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with His comfort through Christ. Even when we are weighed down with troubles, it is for your comfort and salvation! For when we ourselves are comforted, we will certainly comfort you. Then you can patiently endure the same things we suffer. We are confident that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in the comfort God gives us.

We think you ought to know, dear brothers and sisters, about the trouble we went through in the province of Asia. We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and we thought we would never live through it. In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead. And He did rescue us from mortal danger, and He will rescue us again. We have placed our confidence in Him, and He will continue to rescue us. And you are helping us by praying for us. Then many people will give thanks because God has graciously answered so many prayers for our safety.

Sometimes we ask, “Where is God?” when our situations and circumstances seem unbearable and we are despaired of life. When we are seized by these inner emotions, it is important for us to remember that God permits these things to happen in our lives so that we might not rely on ourselves but solely upon Him.  He is the one who raises us to life both physically and spiritually!  Sometimes it takes a trial of affliction to be emptied of ourselves in order to encounter the presence of God. And when we receive the comfort and peace that only He can provide, we are empowered with a knowledge that no one can take away.  Indeed, it is the experience of His comfort that we are enjoined to share with others … just as we are commissioned to share the love and forgiveness of God as well.

It is my prayer we will incorporate the message of this verse into our walk with God.  He IS the God of all comfort! He IS the God of love and peace.  (Cf. Romans 15:33; 2 Corinthians 13:11) And we know the peace of God, which transcends all human understanding … that it guards our minds and hearts in Christ Jesus. (Cf. Philippians 4:7) This is what we are empowered by the Spirit to do … to love and comfort others so that they might experience and know the peace of God as well. This is our commission as believers … comforting those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.  And in this context, comforting is ongoing – meaning we are to continually comfort others as we are continually comforted by God.

My friends, love others as you have been loved.  Forgive others as you have been forgiven.  Comfort others as you have been comforted.

So Now You Know…

Have a Blessed Day!

In humility, value others above yourselves – not looking to your own interests but to the interests of others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus. ~ Philippians 2:3-5