A Warm Comforter

Read 2 Corinthians 1:1–2:13

2. May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.
3. All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort.
4. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.
5. For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ.
6. Even when we are weighed down with troubles, it is for your comfort and salvation! For when we ourselves are comforted, we will certainly comfort you. Then you can patiently endure the same things we suffer.
7. We are confident that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in the comfort God gives us. 2 Corinthians 1:2-7

“What is your only comfort in life and in death?” The first question of the Heidelberg Catechism—one of the great documents of the church—gets right to the heart of human despair. It is a question few people can face without a frown, for real comfort is hard to come by.

Paul, of all people, knows what it is like to feel despair. After all, he has been persecuted for his faith just about everywhere he has gone. But that is not the sum of Paul’s experience—he also knows God’s comfort personally. Because Paul knows how good God’s comfort is, he wants Christians to rest in it and feel its healing power. So he writes his second letter to the Corinthians. Find comfort as you read this passage.

Paul had an amazing testimony about God’s comfort. In Asia, Paul was near death, but God was faithful to Paul and not only comforted him through his trial but also delivered him from death (2 Corinthians 1:9-10).

Throughout history many people have asked, Why am I suffering? At least one of the answers (though not the only one) is this: so that the comfort you receive from God can make you a comforter to others. Being comforted means receiving strength, encouragement, and hope to deal with our troubles. The more we suffer, the more comfort God gives us. The point is that we can then comfort people who hurt. Apart from experiencing God’s comfort, we don’t really know how to comfort others (1:3-5).

If you are feeling overwhelmed, allow God to comfort you. Remember that every trial you endure will help you better relate to other people who are suffering. After your trial has passed, look around for other weary souls who need your compassion and God’s comfort. Then minister to them by the grace and strength of our Comforter, Jesus Christ.