Today's passage: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Corinthians%201-4&version=NASB
What brings you comfort when you are suffering? Maybe you prefer a big hug from mom or a reassuring word from dear ole dad? Maybe a big tub of ice cream or a nice long soak in a warm bubble bath? Some people lose themselves in a nice long run in the park, and others find comfort in sex, drugs and alcohol. Still others just like to curl up on the couch with a blanket, a bowl of popcorn and some old movies.
Paul uses the word comfort ten times in five verses (2 Cor 1:3-7). His great comforter isn’t a gallon of Rocky Road ice cream or a bottle of whiskey. Paul finds comfort in “the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort” (2 Corinthians 1:3).
There are two experiences we can count on as children of God. One is suffering. The other is comfort. Paul found comfort in the knowledge that because he had suffered, he was able to comfort others. Second Corinthians 1:4 says God is the God of comfort, who “comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God” God fills us with His comfort so that we may pour it out on others. Our experiences with suffering give us genuine, authentic empathy which allows us to comfort others.
Through his suffering, Paul also learned to depend on God: “indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves so that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead” (2 Corinthians 1:9). Suffering allows us to see God’s hand in our lives. Paul had seen God rescue him and others from hopeless situations more than once. These experiences taught Paul to trust not in himself, but in the Lord who is the giver of life, our creator and deliverer.
In times of suffering, the world offers many remedies, but as children of God, we have a remedy that is not of this world. We can look to a God who is never absent. He’s not to busy and there is no problem to small. He hears your cries and wants you to trust in Him and to look to him for comfort and guidance. Nothing of this world can fill you up like Him.
Today's post submitted by Kelly Coxe
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Yes we all go through troubles. Some we bring on ourselves while others are a direct result of following God. In these times of troubles or mental distress and worry we can move into discouragement. We can lose our confidence before God and become disheartened. “Why me Lord’ “Why this?” “What’s the matter with me?”
ReplyDeleteIn the hard times of our life the tempter can also come to show us a “better” path but whose end is always heartache and sorrow.
This is why I love the title God has chosen for Himself: The Father of mercies and the God of all comfort. Notice how it says God will comfort us in all our tribulations!!! Even the ones we bring on ourselves. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, will manifest His presence in our minds to bring us new strength and hope. Hope will settle our minds and emotions. “You know what, God is with me, things are going to work out’ “I hate this place but God is going to bring me through”
The Holy Spirit will console us. Like a mother with her child, He will ease the pain of broken hearts and ease our grief. But God doesn’t stop there, He will encourage us and inspire new resolve into our minds. “It’s time to get up off my face, set my mind to walk with God again and leave my pity party back at the house” We learn to say, ‘I will walk with God no matter what”
The Holy Spirit pours comfort into our hearts so we in turn can go forth and be used by the Holy Spirit to perform the ministry of Jesus Christ. We are used to help others in their time of need! What a beautiful plan God is working in us. It really doesn’t matter what we are going through. The more troubles equal more comfort so we in turn can pour more comfort into others!
This is why Jesus said, “Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted” When Jesus presence shows up in our life, this is the biggest blessing we can experience!
If you read a little further we see the purpose of God in a lot of the troubles we are going through. It is to bring a death to self trust! 2 co 1:9. To bring each one of us into a complete and utter dependence upon God in our life. See the problem with me is I try to live the Christian life with the energies of my own flesh. I use my own wisdom to find the things I think will bring me happiness. I can do it if I just try a little harder! What God is looking for are people who will humble themselves before Him, cry out to Him, and then get up and go forth believing God for the wisdom and power to do what He has called us to do. We are purposely led into "dead" ends in our life so we will see the salvation of our God as He brings life from death, healing from sickness, hope from despair and way where there seemed to be no way! God isn’t against our reason and mind He just wants it submitted to the Lordship of the Holy Spirit. We already have the best of the flesh in the churches, what we need now is the power of the Living God
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