On June 12th we began reading First Corinthians and I noted that ten times in the first ten verses Paul invoked the name of Jesus. In that letter Paul’s theme was about the person and work of Jesus Christ and Paul laid that foundation at the very beginning of the letter.
In Second Corinthians Paul uses the word comfort ten times in five verses. Again, Paul has laid a foundation for the theme of his letter. There are extraordinary qualities to this very special comfort of God that Paul is assuring the church God is providing for them.
First, the Comforter can identify with your pain and suffering. The Comforter has personal experience with similar pain and suffering.
Second, the Comforter brings the assurance that your life has meaning. Nothing is being wasted, or as we saw yesterday, your labors, even though they may result in pain and suffering, are not in vain.
Third, the very presence of the Comforter is strengthening to you. There is a quality to this comfort that allows you to see beyond the shadows of earth into the light of eternity where the ultimate truth of God is revealed to you. You learn that what is true of Jesus the Messiah becomes true for his people. The all-encompassing quality of Jesus’ life was that he rested in the sure knowledge that he was the beloved child of God. Paul teaches that this was true for Jesus, and it is true for the followers of Jesus. God’s people can rest today in the sure knowledge we are the beloved of God and that nothing can separate us from God’s love for us in Christ Jesus.
What does today’s reading reveal to you about God?
What does it reveal to you about yourself?
Think about what God wants you to do or remember about this passage.
Does God want you to change anything in your life?
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