2 Corinthians 1:3-4: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”
Do you currently need to be comforted and are once again in the wilderness school in life? The words “all comfort” in 2 Cor. 1:3-4, come from the Greek word paraklesis. It means more than merely soothing sympathy. It involves encouragement, solace, and consolation. The end results produce strengthening, helping, and making strong. This word appears 16 times in Paul’s letter (2 Cor. 1:3-7; 7:7-13). The Latin word for comfort – fortis, also means “brave,” which is the idea behind communicating the meaning of paraklesis.
Paul had many cruel enemies. His life was continually in danger. Then there were people in the Corinthian church that doubted his apostleship and held him in low regard. Just like us, Paul had new burdens to bear every day. Therefore Paul knew the mercies and comfort of God intimately. That is why Paul used the words “grace and peace” in his greetings in his letters to these believers. Paul fought fear and anxiety by receiving God’s grace, which gave him peace. Paul experienced the comfort of God, genuinely, so was always looking for ways to serve others. He never wavered in believing in the faithfulness and goodness of God, despite the challenges Paul experienced throughout his lifetime.
How have you experienced the comfort of God during 2019? Was there a person that God used during a time of need whose words were paraklesis to you?
Have you noticed when you receive some bad and hurtful news and share it with people, some have comforting words, and others don’t? The ones that don’t tend not to bridge any gaps – merely say something to the effect, well, that is what it is – just deal with it. Yes, that is true, but it does not offer any soothing sympathy during your time of suffering and in need of compassion. Maybe their memory is lacking of the last time God faithfully comforted them. A.W. Tozer had said: “Before God can use a person greatly, He must allow that person to be hurt deeply.”
Did you ever feel like you were enrolled in “the wilderness school?” Moses and Paul were students of that school. Moses had a weakness of having a fear of rejection as a leader. Moses had to learn not to run and hide but be faithful in obedience to God, and to seek His help and encouragement in leading the children of Israel. Then there was Paul who saw his trials as an opportunity to grow stronger in His relationship with Christ and enabled him to be able to minister more effectively to others who were suffering and experiencing trials. Their wilderness experiences caused both of these men to become stronger and helped them grow spiritually in their relationship with God.
2 Cor. 1:3-4 is a crucial passage that gives us an understanding of how we will be able to minister to others more effectively that need comfort because God has encouraged us in our suffering, so we can, in turn, from learning perseverance and endurance, pass it onto someone else going through the same storms in life.
God is in charge of the outcome – we are not. When we have fully experienced God’s faithfulness – from walking with Him in our obedience, that is when God’s glory is revealed in our own life so we can pass the baton (instead of a javelin) to someone else in need of comfort. Scripture and prayer are our primary essential battle tools for sheep, and snakes still bite.
Be watchful. Be aware of someone who needs to be reassured of God’s faithfulness. You will be blessed with possessing those apples of gold words that are more than soothing sympathy that have resulted from the trials in your life. We all have gone through our own wilderness school at various times and God is now ready to use you to serve with compassion, as you minister to others that need your help and courage you have acquired.
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