2 Corinthians 1:1-11

The God of All Comfort

I had long been an adult before I heard the word duvet (due vay). I thought to myself, “What in the world is that?” To have posed that question aloud may have made me look dumb or uneducated. Once I figured it out however, it did not become a part of my general vocabulary because it seems unnatural. I am not French or British, so I call it a quilt or comforter. That feels right to me.

No matter what we may call it, we all have the same basic visual in our heads. We see a large, cozy and perhaps fluffy bed covering that brings warmth, comfort and a quiet peace when nestled under it or wrapped within it. Everyone loves comfort. Why then must we endure so much human suffering?

The Apostle Paul offers some reasons why we are allowed to suffer.

First in verses 3-7; God allows us to suffer so we can learn to treat others compassionately. When others are hurting we need to wrap them in the blanket of God’s care and comfort. Nobody can identify with hurting people like those who have suffered themselves.

Second in verses 8-9; Sometimes we suffer so we will learn not to be overconfident in ourselves. Nothing strips away arrogance and pride like hard times or physical difficulty. When such times come, even in the face of death, God wants us to turn to him and rely on his strength, not our own.

Third in verses 10-11; God allows us to suffer so we can see his power at work in practical ways. When we support others going through difficulties, and when we ourselves experience others rallying to support us-believers discover an aspect of God’s care unknown to those who do not live in a relationship with him.

There is power, comfort and peace lying beneath the comforter. It will bring us nothing however if we leave it on a shelf or have it neatly draped over a bed in the guest room so it looks pretty. That is like calling ourselves Christian but when dealing with others disregarding all we have learned in the scriptures. But, if we nestle into it, open up our heart to its warmth, and allow ourselves to feel “The God of All Comfort” he will meet us where we are and offer us the comfort and hope we all long for. 

Read/Listen to 2 Corinthians 1:1-11

Prayer is Whispering -

Psalm 34:4 (NIV)
 I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. 

This is one of my favorite Psalms, although it is impossible to choose a favorite, there are a couple that seem to speak to my heart, that meet me where I am.  Because 'where I am' changes, the Psalms which speak loudest to me change as well.  Today this one is whispering in my ear words of assurance, words of comfort and peace.

Verse 4 is interesting today because of one word I just noticed as I read.  I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. When praying to God I often list my fear-of-the-day, that one thing that was still on my mind as I closed my eyes the night before and was first to pop into my head in the morning. This line in Psalms covers that fear, but if you see what I see, he has addressed all my fears. Isn't that curious?

God always goes the extra mile.  He know everything about us, not only what stops us from moving forward today and paralyzed us yesterday, He sees tomorrows crippling worries, and prepares us to deal with them too.  This is the Only God for me.  The god of money or of fame, the god of my obsessive desires all pale in comparison to the God of Abraham, the God of David.

Psalm 34, 35, 36