READING: 2 Corinthians 1-4
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort.”
2 Corinthians 1:3
Life is not always easy. We know that truth, but knowing it does not always alleviate our struggle when life gets hard. This battle becomes especially intense when some preachers around the world proclaim a “health and wealth” gospel that assumes such struggles are simply a lack of faith.
Paul, on the other hand, reminds us that God has a purpose in our struggles. He uses the battles – even suffering and persecution – for His glory as He comforts us “in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any kind of affliction, through the comfort we ourselves receive from God” (2 Cor. 1:4). He who is “the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort” (2 Cor. 1:3) wraps His love around us, and He then uses us to comfort others. In that way, our suffering becomes a blessing to others.
Holding on to these truths helps me to rejoice even life becomes surprisingly difficult. Nothing I face is beyond God’s control, and everything I face is an opportunity to comfort others when they face the same things. May God help me to remember this devotion the next time life seems to slap me around a bit!
ACTION STEPS:
- If you are in a struggle today, remember that God is “the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort.” Trust Him.
- This Thanksgiving Day, reach out to someone else who is facing a difficult time. Encourage him or her.
PRAYER: “Father of mercies and God of all comfort, I praise You for anything I face. Use me to comfort others.”
TOMORROW’S READING: 2 Corinthians 5-9