2 Corinthians 1:3, 4 - God of All Comfort.
2 Corinthians 1:3, 4 - God of All Comfort.
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 have received from
God.
INTRODUCTION
"What is your only comfort in life and in death?" The first
question of the Heidelberg Catechism - one of the great documents of the
church - gets right to the heart of human despair. It is a question few
people can face without a frown, for real comfort is hard to come by.
Paul, of all people, knows what it is like to feel despair.
After all, he has been persecuted for his faith just about everywhere
he has gone. But that is not the sum of Paul's experience - he also
knows God's comfort personally. Because Paul knows how good God's
comfort is, he wants Christians to rest in it and feel its healing
power. So he writes his second letter to the Corinthians...
Paul had an amazing testimony about God's comfort. In Asia,
Paul was near death, but God was faithful to Paul and not only
comforted him through his trial but also delivered him from death (2
Corinthians 1:9-10).
Throughout history many people have asked, Why am I
suffering? At least one of the answers (though not the only one) is this:
so that the comfort you receive from God can make you a comforter
to others. Being comforted means receiving strength, encouragement,
and hope to deal with our troubles. The more we suffer, the more
comfort God gives us. The point is that we can then comfort people who
hurt. Apart from experiencing God's comfort, we don't really know how
to comfort others (1:3-5).
If you are feeling overwhelmed, allow God to comfort you.
Remember that every trial you endure will help you better relate to other
people who are suffering. After your trial has passed, look around for
other weary souls who need your compassion and God's comfort. Then
minister to them by the grace and strength of our Comforter, Jesus
Christ. [The One Year Through the Bible Devotional by Dave Veerman]
COMMENTARY
These words bring great encouragement to those who are
suffering. We know from these verses that God cares when we hurt and He
responds to it by comforting us. We Christians sometimes wonder why God
allows us to suffer, but the Scriptures don't leave us to wonder on our
own. Three reasons for suffering are given in verses 3-11: First,
so that we can comfort others that are suffering with the comfort
we ourselves have received from God; second, so that we will not
rely on ourselves, but rather trust God; and third, so that many will
give thanks as they see God answer the prayers for relief. Are you
suffering today? Ask God to bring comfort to your heart instead of trying
to bear it alone. Do you know someone who is struggling? Share
with them how God has comforted you in your time of need and then
pray for them. You will be able to rejoice when you hear how God
answered your prayers! [In His Time; Walk With Wisdom]
Christians need comfort. While trying to help the church,.
Paul experienced suffering so intense that he was almost ready to
give up (vv. 8-9). God does not always shelter His people from
trials, not even gifted apostles who are doing His will. 'Be kind," said
John Watson, "for everyone you meet is fighting a battle."
Christians receive comfort. Your God is the "God of all
comfort" (v. 3), and He will give you the grace you need when you need
it. Sufferings are not accidents; they are divine appointments, and
your Father is in complete control. You will find comfort in praying,
in claiming the promises of the Word (vv. 18-20), and in having
deeper fellowship with the Lord.
Christians share comfort. God's comfort is not given; it is
loaned, and you are expected to pass it on to others. The pain you
experience now will help you encourage others in their trials. When you
suffer, avoid self-pity, for self-pity will make you a reservoir instead
of a channel. If you fail to share God's comfort with others, your
experience in the furnace will be wasted; and it is a tragic thing to waste
your sufferings. [Chapter by Chapter Bible Commentary by Warren
Wiersbe]
Comfort is a powerful word that means "to strengthen, aid,
encourage, give hope, alleviate grief, lift one's spirit from loneliness or
pain." When Paul wrote on comfort in his second letter to the
Corinthian Christians, he wasn't speaking of it in some hypothetical or
theoretical way. Paul had experienced profound suffering and trouble, and he
had received great comfort and encouragement from God and from God's
people. Paul wanted the believers of that age and all those who followed
to know that their suffering is never in vain. He was conveying the
truth that the comfort we receive is part of God's great plan to
strengthen and help those who are in need. While the source of all comfort
is God himself, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, he gives us
the privilege of being conduits of his comfort to those we meet.
Has God brought comfort and hope to you when you were
distressed by waves of trials? Has someone's prayer support lifted you up
in a time of illness or brokenness? God does not intend for that
comfort to stagnate in our hearts once we receive it. He wants us to
dispense it to a hurting world. [Praying Through The Bible By Fuller re
2Co. 1:3, 4]
TESTIMONY
My favorite portion of Scripture isn't really a verse. It's a
snippet that occurs 457 times in the King James Version: "And it came to
pass."
No matter how deep the muck I'm wading through, no matter how
troubling the trial, I take great comfort in knowing that it came to pass.
Even in this trying situation, God is sovereign. Everything that
touches me must first pass through his umbrella of loving-kindness.
Daniel had his lions' den; the three Hebrew youths had their
fiery furnace. Paul had more trials than we can list in a short space,
and Peter had to look his Savior in the eye after denying him three
times. My trials may not be nearly as dramatic, but when they threaten
to sweep me off my feet, I remember that I've not been abandoned.
Jesus is with me; my heavenly Father is monitoring my progress through
the valley of the shadow. He knows I'll emerge on the other
side--even if that other side is eternity--reflecting more of Jesus and less
of me.
And so I rejoice that I've been counted worthy of sharing in
suffering ... so that I'll also be able to share in the ministry of
comforting others.
Angela Hunt is a novelist, a writer, and author. [The One
Year Bible Live Verse Devotional]
PRACTICAL APPLICATION
Look to Me continually for help, comfort, and companionship.
Because I am always by your side, the briefest glance can connect you
with Me. When you look to Me for help, it flows freely from My
Presence. This recognition of your need for Me, in small mailers as well
as in large ones, keeps you spiritually alive.
When you need comfort, I love to enfold you in My arms. I
enable you not only to feel comforted but also to be a channel through
whom I comfort others. Thus you are doubly blessed, because a living
channel absorbs some of whatever flows through it.
My constant Companionship is the piece de resistance: the
summit of salvation blessings. No matter what losses you experience in
your life, no one can take away this glorious gift. (Psa. 34:4-6;
105:4; 2Co. 1:3, 4) [Jesus Calling by Sarah Young]
GREAT MUSIC VIDEO ON THIS SUBJECT:
Blessings by Laura Story (mercies in disguise)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOOFAaUGfRE
LINKS FOR FURTHER STUDY ON THIS PASSAGE:
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2011/20110829-2005.html
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2005/20050516-1341.html
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT:
Most Important Decision in Life:
http://www.youtube.com/embed/WGnEuGwvXqU?rel=0
Importance of Choice:
http://creationhealth.com/CREATION-Health/Choice [click on video]
Seeking God Made Real: http://vimeo.com/31489782
Music Devotional On Christian Living:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcotY5K7T0c
LINKS FOR BIBLE STUDY:
Lifting Up Jesus Bible Studies: http://www.liftingupjesus.net/
Amazing Facts Bible Studies:
http://www.amazingfacts.org/bible-study/bible-study-guides.aspx
Discover Bible Studies: http://studies.itiswritten.com/discover/
LINKS FOR PROPHECY SEMINARS:
Revelation Today by Pastor John Bradshaw:
https://revelationtoday.com/other-streams/
Prophecies Decoded by Pastor Ron Clouzet:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1A435C5373550657
