In The Word
Read: 2 Corinthians 1:1-11
Introduction
1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,
To the church of God which is at Corinth with all the saints who are throughout Achaia:
2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 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. 5 For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ. 6 But if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; or if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which is effective in the patient enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer; 7 and our hope for you is firmly grounded, knowing that as you are sharers of our sufferings, so also you are sharers of our comfort.
8 For we do not want you to be unaware, brethren, of our affliction which came to us in Asia, that we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life; 9 indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves so that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead; 10 who delivered us from so great a peril of death, and will deliver us, He on whom we have set our hope. And He will yet deliver us, 11 you also joining in helping us through your prayers, so that thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf for the favor bestowed on us through the prayers of many.
New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
Walking In The Word
Paul wrote this letter to the church in Corinth and for the saints throughout Achaia. He was a man who faced many challenges and opposition in ministry, but God was always his comfort. Paul even calls Him the God of all comfort (2 Corinthians 1:3); this means that whatever situation we find ourselves in we have the Lord with us, and He sends the Holy Spirit to be our comforter (John 14:16).
According to Paul, the comfort we receive is the comfort we should give. As believers, God allows for us to be caught up in many different troubles and sufferings so that we can learn and be able to relate with other believers in the very same situation and give them comfort. Not a single suffering you go through should be meaningless; you should use it as a learning curve for you to teach others in the very same situation and comfort them. There is an idiom that says, “Better the devil you know than the devil you don’t know.”
In 2 Corinthians 1:9, it says, “Indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves so that we not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead.” The truth is that the moment you give your life to Yahshua, you become the devil’s archenemy. The enemy will do anything to destroy you, but thank God for His saving power.
The suffering you are going through today will give you an opportunity to comfort someone else tomorrow. Don’t let it go by without learning from it.