2 Corinthians 1:3-4 - 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.
Paul begins this letter to the Corinthian church with a
great reminder that all God allows in their life has a great purpose. He praises God for allowing things in his
life that trouble him…because he realized that God was going to use the lesson
he learned in his struggle to help someone else.
There is a great difference in sympathy and empathy. We can feel sorrow for someone in a pain we
have never experienced….but there is a great empathy created in our soul when
God allows someone we know to experience the pain that he has already helped us
to overcome.
It is one of the great promises that gives me hope and
courage to keep going through my own hardships… for there is a great joy that
comes from helping others through a situation that God has brought me through
before them. The joy helps to combat the pain that never completely goes away….bringing
even deeper comfort…and drawing you even closer to the source of all help and
strength.
Father…thank you for the reminder and confirmation that
everything I view as a hardship has purpose in helping someone else know you.
Forgive me for the times that I have sat in selfish pity parties…knowing that I
was becoming stagnant and useless to you as a disciple. Help me to see all
hardships and trials as lesson in how to help others know you. Help me to
praise you in my storms…and let them give me strength and courage to do more
work for you. Amen.
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