February 1 (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, 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.  (ESV)

You and I have a responsibility, a duty, to let God comfort us.  For many of us, that sounds weak.  “I’ll take care of myself, thank you very much.”  We see it as a sign of weakness if we do not pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps.  Yet the fact is, we have an obligation to let God comfort us, and it is not an obligation to ourselves.

As Paul reminds us, when we are comforted by God, we can then comfort others who are suffering any kind of affliction.  Why?  It is because we can speak from experience.  Which would you rather hear?  Someone who can quote a lot of platitudes or theory they have gained from a book, or someone who has personal experience of God’s love and mercy?

The next time you think you should not bother God with your problems, consider this.  What do you need to experience from Him that He wants you to share with someone else?  If you block Him out, not only do you miss your own comfort, you lose an opportunity to experience something first hand from God that you could share with someone else.

Father, I need Your comfort and mercy today.  There is so much surrounding me, pulling at me, weighing me down.  Strengthen and guide me, Lord, not just to handle the things in front of me, but so that I may be able to share Your love and grace with someone else who needs.  In the name of Jesus, my loving Savior, amen.

Copyright © 2015 by Steven R. Perkins