2 Corinthians 1
The crucible of Christian Suffering
The combination of Job and 2 Corinthians 1 puts the target squarely on the issue of suffering today. Have you ever wondered why God allows us to go through trials and problems in life?
In chapter 1, we have one of the reasons why God allows this. Verses 3-7 tell us that God comforts us so we can comfort others. Suffering is an opportunity to know God and to know his comfort. This does not mean that God causes cancer, death, illness and unemployment, but it does mean that in those adversities God takes the opportunity to speak to us in a way we are not open to hearing when everything is going well. And, once we have experienced this comfort from God, then we have the responsibility to share that comfort with others.
Our adversity is his opportunity, the greater the suffering, the greater the comfort. No matter how great the suffering, God matches it with comfort. The comfort is never outweighed by the suffering. It is not given ahead of time but available in the trial. I don't envy those who have never known any pain, physical or spiritual, because I strongly suspect that the capacity for pain and comfort are equal. Only those who have suffered great pain are able to know great comfort. The Lord gets his best counselors out of the highlands of adversity.
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