“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 will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ. But if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; or if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which is effective in the patient enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer; and our hope for you is firmly grounded, knowing that as you are sharers of our sufferings, so also you are sharers of our comfort.” (2 Corinthians 1:3-7 NASB1995)

Why must we go through trials and tribulations? For many reasons such as to test our faith to see if it is genuine, and to teach us perseverance, and to grow us to maturity in Christ. It is also to produce in us godly character, that we might share God’s holiness, that it might yield in our lives the peaceful fruit of righteousness, to lead us to repentance if we have strayed from the truth, and to make us rely not on ourselves, but on God, etc. But it is also that we might comfort others in their afflictions as we were comforted.

[Luke 21:13; Romans 5:3-5; 2 Corinthians 1:3-11; 2 Corinthians 4:17; Hebrews 12:3-12; James 1:2-4; 1 Peter 1:6-7; Revelation 3:19]

In comforting others in their afflictions with the comfort with which we ourselves were comforted by God, what kinds of afflictions might we or they be facing? They can be tribulations, persecutions, troubles, heartaches, disappointments, anguish, distress, pressures, burdens, and/or discomfort. They can be anything which might bring us to the place of feeling as though there is no way of escape, or that there is no hope in sight. And, in what ways were we comforted by God and/or by other believers in Jesus Christ?

Well, the word “comfort” is the same as encouragement, which is also the same as exhortation, and a holy urging, such as in an urgent request or entreaty, counsel, or caution. For this is not just all the “feel good” stuff. For sometimes we may need to hear from someone who will speak the truth in love to us, who will say exactly what we need to hear, even if what they say may not feel good to our emotions, but may be just what we need to hear to keep moving forward, and to not give up hope, and to keep persevering.

And I can tell you one thing for certain. If we are going through anything of the nature of what Paul and the other apostles went through, we don’t need people lying to us just to make us feel good. We also don’t need people accusing us falsely of what we did not do, like Job’s friends did with him. We need people who will speak truth to us, but in love, with kindness and with compassion, but never in compromising truth and righteousness to make us feel good. We need to hear the true promises of God spoken to his beloved.

We need to be assured that if we are the true children of God, who by faith in Jesus Christ were crucified with him in death to sin, and raised with him to walk in newness of life in him, now as slaves to righteousness in walks of obedience to his commands, that God will never leave us or forsake us. We need to be assured that he is with us, and that he is in control, and that he has a plan and a purpose for everything he allows to come into our lives, and if we surrender our all to him, he will work it all out for our good.

But not only was Paul and the other apostles afflicted for the comfort of others, but they experienced the sufferings of Christ in their lives for the salvation of human souls, too. And sometimes God will allow us to go through times of difficulty and suffering to humble us, to make us more compassionate, to give us a greater compassion for spreading the truth of the gospel, and to open doors of ministry we would never have ever imagined if we had not first suffered much to make us ready for service.

For sometimes we need to face hardships, persecutions, and rejections to draw us closer to our Lord, to make us more committed to our Lord and to his service, and to make us stronger spiritually and emotionally; to get us ready for the hardships and persecutions we are bound to face when we speak the truth of God’s word to a people who are preferring the lies, instead. For we will be treated harshly by some who will lie about us and accuse us falsely of wrong we did not commit, and we’ll need to learn grace.

His Song is with Me

Based off Psalm 42
An Original Work / September 9, 2018
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

Why downcast?
Why downcast is
My soul within me?
Put your hope in God.

For I will yet praise Him,
My Savior and my God.
My soul thirsts for God.
Where can I meet Him?

Why downcast?
Why downcast is
My soul within me?
Put your hope in God.

My tears have;
My tears have been
My food by day and by night.
“Where is God?”

I say to God, my Rock,
“Why have You forgotten me?
For, I’m burdened
By the enemy.”

My tears have;
My tears have been
My food by day and by night.
“Where is God?”

Why downcast?
Why downcast is
My soul within me?
Put your hope in God.

By day the Lord commands
His lovingkindness and
His song is with me at night,
Praise to Him.

Why downcast?
Why downcast is
My soul within me?
Put your hope in God.

Our God of All Comfort
An Original Work / March 8, 2026
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love