Far
Beyond Our Ability To Endure
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. For
just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort
abounds through Christ. If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and
salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you
patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. And our hope for you is
firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you
share in our comfort.
We
do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about the troubles we
experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond
our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt we
had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on
ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a
deadly peril, and he will deliver us again. On him we have set our hope that he
will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers. Then many will
give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the
prayers of many.
2 Deuteronomy 1:3-11
Whenever
one of us suffers a tragedy, and then sometime later another of us suffers a similar
problem we come together to offer hope. Our Father is the same way with us. We
can have high moments in our lives, and low moments. We are able to comfort
those with tribulations, and we may be able to help them. We are able to help
them because of the help God has given to us. We are comforted by God.
The
Lord doesn’t waste anything. Our struggles not only give us an opportunity to
experience His comfort, but they also open the door for us to share that
comfort with others in their struggles.
God’s presence brings us comfort; our presence brings
others comfort.
Our
Daily Bread – August 24, 2015