Christianity Oasis Forum

[cimi]

May 26
Monday


A CALL TO
COMFORT

READ:
2 Corinthians 1:3-11
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In their book Dear Mrs, Kennedy, Jay Mulvaney and Paul De Angelis note that during the weeks following the assassination of US President Jhon Kennedy, his widow, Jacqueline, received nearly one million letters from people in every part of the world. Some came from heads of state, celebrities, and close friends. Others were sent by ordinary people who addressed them to "Madame Kennedy, Washington" and "Mrs. President, America." All wrote to express their grief and sympathy for her great loss.

When people suffer and we long to help, it's good to recall Paul's word-picture of "the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ" as "the Father of mercies and God of all comfort" (2 Cor. 1:3). Our heavenly Father is the ultimate source of every tender mercy, kind word, and helpful act that brings encouragement and healing. Bible scholar W. E. Vine says that paraklesis__the Greek word translated "comfort and consolation appear repeatedly in today's Bible reading as a reminder that the Lord holds us close and invites us to cling to Him.

As the Lord wraps His loving arms around us, we are able to embrace others "with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God" (v.4). __David McCasland

```````````````````Father, thank You for letting us share with You````````````````````
``````````````````our worries and cares. We're grateful that you`````````````````````
`````````````````stand beside us to comfort and guide. Help us to````````````````````
````````````````````console others as You look out for Your own.`````````````````````
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God comforts us so that we can comfort others.

***************************Today's Bible Reading __ 2 Corinthians 1:3-11**************************
3 Blessed be the God and
Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, the Father of mercies
and God of all comfort,

4 who comforts us in all our
tribulation, that we may be
able to comfort those who
are in any trouble, with the
comfort with which we
ourselves are comforted by
God. 5 For as the sufferings
of Christ abound in us, so
our consolation also
abounds through Christ.

6 Now if we are afflicted, it
is for your consolation and
salvation, which is effective
for enduring the same
sufferings which we also
suffer. Or if we are
comforted, it is for your
consolation and salvation.

7 And our hope for you is
steadfast, because we know
that as you are partakers of
the sufferings, so also you
will partake of the
consolation.

8 For we do not want you
to be ignorant, brethren, of
our trouble which came to
us in Asia: that we were
burdened beyond measure,
above strength, so that we
despaired even of life. 9 Yes,
we had the sentence of
death in ourselves, that we
should not trust in ourselves
but in God who raises the
dead, 10 who delivered us
from so great a death, and
does deliver us; in whom
we trust that He will still
deliver us, 11 you also
helping together in prayer
for us, that thanks may be
given by many persons on
our behalf for the gift
granted to us through many.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
So often we ask why God allows a hurtful experience to come our
way. Today's reading provides us with at least one very plausible
reason for the pain. We are comforted in our affliction so that we
might comfort others in theirs (v.4). Hearing of the faithfulness of
God in trials uplifts others who suffer.