OUR DAILY BREAD : COMFORTED TO COMFORT

[cimi]

September 8
Tuesday


COMFORTED
TO COMFORT

READ:
2 Corinthians 1:3-11
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[God] comforts us...
that we may be able
to comfort [others]
with the comfort with
which we ourselves are
comforted by God.
__2 corinthians 1:4
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While speaking to a group of Christian athletes, I asked them how they normally responded to hardships. Their responses included fear, anger, self-pity, aggression, despair, to God. I encouraged them to trust that God would comfort them and then use them to comfort others.

Just as I encouraged those athletes, Paul encouraged a group of believers in a town called Corinth. He reminded them that afflictions were inevitable for the follower of Jesus. Many were being persecuted, imprisoned, and oppressed--all because of their relationship with Jesus. Paul wanted the Corinthians to know that in the midst of their trouble God was their source of help. He would come to their side and help them to have godly responses. Then Paul gave one of the reasons God allowed suffering and brought divine comfort--so that the Corinthians might have the empathy to enter into other people's sorrow and comfort them (2 Cor. 1:4).

When we suffer, let us remember that God will bring comfort to us through His Word, by the Holy Spirit, and through fellow believers. God does not comfort us so that we'll be comfortable ; we are comforted by God so that we might be comforters. __Marvin Williams
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``````````````````When you receive God's comfort,```````````````
```````````````````````Be sure to pass it on,````````````````````
````````````````````Then give to god the glory```````````````````
``````````````From whom the comfort's drawn. __Hess`````````````
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When God permits trials, He also provides comfort.

*************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. 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<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

In verse 3, our great God is described in three profound ways. First,
He is the "Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." Second, God is the
"Father of mercies." Third, He is the "God of all comfort." Each of
these names is a powerful expression of the depth of God's provision
of comfort for us. __BILL CROWDER

[realtmg]

Amen!
It's all about serving HIM.

Thanks cimi

GBU


Real