Daily - 1/5/09

2 Corinthians 1:3-4

1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, to the church of God that is in Corinth, with all the holy ones throughout Achaia:

2 grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and God of all encouragement,

4 who encourages us in our every affliction, so that we may be able to encourage those who are in any affliction with the encouragement with which we ourselves are encouraged by God.

5 For as Christ's sufferings overflow to us, so through Christ does our encouragement also overflow.

(Note: Some translations replace "encouragement" in the verses above with "comfort.")

From the earliest days of the Church, the apostles understood that going through trials gave them the strength and experience to help others. God comforts us through our afflictions and our times of need, and through that process we gain spiritual knowledge that we can use to helpothers.

I can testify to this. I've been recently blessed with the opportunity to help a couple of people who are going through significant trials. There is absolutely no way that I'd be able to help these people if I hadn't been through certain trials of my own that have taught me spiritual lessons. God encouraged me through those trials, so that I might be able to encourage these couple of people.

Verse 5 is so true - as Christ's suffereings overflow to us, so through Christ does our encouragement overflow. We just need to remember to focus on him during times of suffering,