For me, these thirteen chapters hold truths and powerful statements that have been transformational in my life and ministry. If you missed the first two posts of this series, I invite you to go back and read When God has a Different Objective and There's Only Room for One.
So, if 2 Corinthians has never been your favorite book of the bible or if you've never memorized any scripture from this book, I pray that by the end of this series, you will have been prompted by the Spirit to do so.
So, let's jump in! The third verse in the very first chapter of 2 Corinthians will stop you in your tracks.
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. (2 Co 1:3–4)There's so much packed in these verses, but I want to focus on the "alls" and the "any." The God of all comfort is the One who comforts us in all our troubles. It does not say the God of some comfort is the One who comforts us in some of our troubles. Praise God, He doesn’t choose which situation in my life He will be there for me! He is always there for me. And this verse even tells me that when I do run to others (spouse, family, friends) for comfort, guess what? He is the One who has empowered them to share it with me. The point is: God is the source of your comfort.
I am reminded of a personal illustration. You see, if you know me, you know I enjoy talking – with just about anyone for just about any reason. Therefore, if a “trouble” comes my way, I often pick up the phone to call my Mom, or one of my closest friends to vent, and to seek the answers I want to hear. After “venting” recently to my Grandmother about a situation, she called me the next morning. The conversation went like this:
“Hello?”
“Hey, Honey.” (She always calls me “Honey.”)
“Hey, Grandmother.” (I always call her “Grandmother.”)
“Listen, Honey, I can’t talk long, but I just wanted to know if you were doing better today.”
“Yes, Grandmother, I am. Thank you for letting me “vent” yesterday.”
“Well, Honey, I was listening to a pastor speak on the radio last night and I heard a very interesting comment. In fact, I feel like the Lord wanted me to share it with you.”
“What, Grandmother?”
“Well, this pastor said, ‘Get off the phone and go to the throne.’”
Silence.
“Ok, Honey, I’ll be going now. I love you.” Click.
I. was. stunned.
You see, He is the source of all comfort. Our family and friends, or whomever we go to for comfort, are just the empowered distributors. Though it is great that we have people that we can go to and talk to, He would love to be your first stop for comfort. Tell Him what you are feeling. Let Him know your hurts and your fears. Tell Him how lonely you are. And when you can’t even put your thoughts into words, don’t worry; the Spirit is right there interceding on your behalf. Our Lord wants to be our Comforter, our Source of Compassion. He wants to be our All in All.
What are you thinking right now? Do you allow Jesus to be your All in All? How has God been your source of compassion and comfort? I would love to hear your comments. In fact, as I prepare to write this book, your comments are more needed than ever. Please let me know if God moves you or if you have any insight. Reading by email? click here to go to the site to comment. If not, scroll down to comment.
Living for ONE by getting off the throne!
Kelli
