May favour and endless peace be yours continually from our Father God and from our Lord Jesus Christ! (2 Corinthians 1:2)
That is how Paul starts this amazing letter to the church in Corinth. All praises belong to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. For He is the Father of tender mercy and the God of endless comfort. He always comes alongside us to comfort us in every suffering so that we can come alongside those who are in any painful trial. We can bring them this same comfort that God has poured out upon us. (2 Cor 1:3-4) Paul doesn’t specify what the extreme hardships were that he and others suffered but whatever they were…it felt like we ourselves, within our very beings, had received the verdict of death! The trials crushed us beyond our ability to endure, and we were so completely overwhelmed that we were about to give up entirely. (2 Cor 1:8) It may seem strange that Paul, the mighty apostle and exemplary ministry leader, was so transparent about his weaknesses and with such honest emotion. But God’s amazing grace empowered him to minister with pure motives and no hidden agenda. Paul’s intention was to show all the sufferings he endured were because of faithfully following the Lord Jesus, and that the Father of endless comfort had sustained him in every hardship. Coming out of those trials still alive taught Paul and the other apostles to lose all faith in themselves and to place all their trust in the God who raises the dead. (2 Cor 1:9) Paul urged the Corinthians to partner with him in prayer! (2 Cor 1:11) Paul saw the church not as subservient to him and the other apostles but as co-workers in God’s kingdom. He knew prayer held great power to change the future and he believed the church were co-workers in this intercessory endeavour. Paul was teaching the church how to endure and overcome trials. Many of you are going through painful trials. Do you wonder why? I don’t mean to sound flippant or callous in what you’re suffering but one of God’s reasons is … so that you can come alongside someone else who is in a painful trial, to bring him or her the same comfort that God poured out upon you. By your powerful example you will minister the love of God to hurting people and testify that He always comes alongside us in every suffering – that we can lose all faith in human effort and place all our trust in the Father of tender mercy and the God of endless comfort. May endless favour, comfort and peace be yours continually from our Father God and from our Lord Jesus Christ! (2 Corinthians 1:2) Love and blessings
Pearl
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