All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort.
He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others.
When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.
For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ.
2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (NLT)
My mother-in-law owns a three-tier fountain. Water spouts out the top, filling the top tier, then trickles down the other two tiers. In warm weather, cardinals, titmice, and wrens drink from it or use the water to bathe. The deer have discovered this source of water and are sometimes bold enough to approach it to satisfy their thirst.
There is a fountain that provides far greater refreshment for weary souls: Jesus, the fount of all comfort. Like a waterfall, God pours Himself into us so that we might become vessels overflowing into the lives of others. The comfort God offers is not limited to just a few drops, nor even just enough to soothe our pain. It is so abundant it spills over.
I like the way The Message translates this passage; “He comes alongside us when we go through hard times, and before you know it, he brings us alongside someone else who is going through hard times so that we can be there for that person just as God was there for us.”
Don’t try to go it alone. Ask God to pour His comfort into your soul, then be a channel and pass it along.
Thought: “Encouragement is awesome. It (can) actually change the course of another person’s day, week, or life.” – Chuck Swindoll
For further reading:
- Psalm 23:4, 6
- Isaiah 66:13
- Romans 15:5-6
- 2 Corinthians 7:6-7
Excerpt from A Year in God’s Classroom