by God… comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble.
2 Corinthians 1:3-4
A million things can go wrong in our lifetime. Most don’t; they never do. But sometimes a particular thing badly disrupts us—we’re diagnosed with a rare disease; our house catches on fire; we’re caught up in an addiction; our child has a car wreck; our spouse shows signs of dementia. Of the 7.53 billion people on earth, others have suffered the same blows. There’s a fellowship of suffering known only by those who have experienced the same issues.
If the Lord allows adversity to come into your life, perhaps it’s because He wants to use you to comfort others when they endure the same thing. Imagine how many ministries have been started by men and women longing to use the lessons they’ve learned in a crisis to encourage others.
One of the unexpected blessings in trials is finding a well of compassion—the unique ability of comforting others with the same comfort we’ve received from God. Learn to pray, “Lord, through this trial, equip me to better serve You in the future. Give me unexpected compassion.”
Among all the names that reveal God, this, the “God of all comfort,” seems to me one of the most lovely, and the most absolutely comforting. The words “all comfort” admit of no limitations.
Hannah Whitall Smith
By David Jeremiah