II Corinthians 1:1-11
Dear RTB’ers,
Blessed be the God … of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction… (v. 3-4a). There was a time in my life (summer and fall 1981) when for seven straight months I had some major “affliction” in my life, the worst of which were my father’s death and a broken engagement with Carol. I recall vividly, through it all, asking God, “Why all this? What’s going on here?” I don’t recall being angry – more confused than anything. But the main thing that I can remember through all that was one person in our Bible Study group commenting on the stuff I was going through and my reply, “I don’t know how people go through difficulties without God in their lives.” Through it all, one thing after another, I was calling on God – not unlike David in most of the psalms we just read. How do people survive, trying to do it all on their own?
In today’s reading Paul mentions “comfort” ten times, “affliction” three times, and “suffer(ing)” four times. I think he’s concerned with people and their trials and difficulties. His answer is the second half of the verses quoted above, …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. (v. 4b) God is our only Comforter, but we are His intercessors – we are “comforters” for Him.
Blessings!
Fred