Good Morning Everyone,
Our theme for this month: “Never forsaken, never abandoned.”
Our Bible verse for today: “Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort. He comforts us in 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 Corinthians 1:3-4 (HCSB)
Our thought for today: “Comfort others just as you have been comforted.”
Life is a series of peaks and valleys. We all experience our share of time on the mountaintops of life when the sun is shining, the birds are singing, the view is spectacular, and life is good. And we all have our times in the deep dark valleys where life is hard and the way forward is often uncertain.
All this month we’ve been learning that even in the most difficult of times God is still with us, He never forsakes us, He never abandons us. If you’re a mature Christian then you’ve discovered that to be true as you’ve walked through your own times in life’s valleys. So you know from personal experience that what Paul described in 2 Corinthians 1:3-4, that God is the Father of all mercies, the God of all comfort, and the one who comforts us in all of our afflictions, is true.
But Paul’s primary point in these verses is not just that God is merciful and that He comforts us, we already know that to be true, but that we are to now use those experiences from our own lives so that we can help others in similar circumstances to find God’s love and comfort and mercy in the middle of their own time in the valley. The Christian best equipped to comfort someone whose spouse has just died, is someone who has personally experienced that pain. The best substance abuse counselors are usually those who themselves have suffered through, and gained victory over, substance abuse. The list of possible examples is endless.
In verse 7 of that chapter Paul wrote, “And our hope for you is firm, because we know that as you share in the sufferings, so you will share in the comfort.” That right there is a big part of God’s plan for ministering to a lost and broken and bleeding world. Most of God’s blessings are delivered through His people. We are His instruments of ministry to others who are hurting. He works through us, and He uses our own personal experiences of Him, to prepare us to be of use to Him in the lives of other people.
You have experienced God in your own life. In the middle of your own times of trial, struggle, and despair He has been there for you and you have discovered that He truly is the Father of all mercies and the God of all comfort. Now use your experiences to share that good news with others going through something similar. You have been comforted, now go and comfort others.
God Bless,
Pastor Jim
Oak Hill Baptist Church 