2 November | EVERYONE
«Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.» 2 Corinthians 1: 3,4
Have you ever wondered why God’s children suffer? The right question should be: What for? Suffering in the lives of those who fear the Lord has many purposes, and Paul reminds us that one of the reasons is that when we experience suffering, God will comfort us and later it will serve as a reference for us to comfort others who also suffer.
That is, it is implied in today’s text that the Lord allows pain to visit us because that experience, and that of the divine comfort that follows, will make us better understand and help others, who will also have experiences of pain.
On one occasion a pastor was injured and taken to the hospital, where he remained hospitalized for a few days. Lying in bed, he often asked himself, “Lord, why?” At first, he did not understand the reason for his accident, as he had so many commitments at the church during that week. But in the hospital, where he apparently “could not do anything,” he had the opportunity to show Jesus and talk about Him to the entire family of another patient, who shared the room with him. Months later, when he had the joy of baptizing that family, he understood God’s purpose in allowing him to go to the hospital.
There are times in life when you would not know how to conduct yourself or what words to say to a person who is suffering if you had not gone through the same pain before. That is what Paul refers to in today’s text, and that is why he blesses the Lord in his trials as “the God of all comfort.”
Take Action
Much of life’s wisdom is based on drawing lessons from trials and how our loving Father comforts us in the midst of trials. Do you have experience in this? Are you willing to use it for the benefit of others? Sing “The God of All Comfort” (if possible, with your family).