Today : Comfort Others
TODAY’S VERSE
“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 have received from God.” II Corinthians 1:3-4 (NIV)
TODAY’S THOUGHT
Stress is in all of our lives. There is pressure from all sides. Relationships, finances, health, how do we get any relief? Where can we go to get help? Paul knew. He wrote, “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.” God is compassionate and He puts His compassion into action by comforting us. More than that, God orchestrates many of His followers to comfort us as well. That is His plan. When we are comforted by His grace and mercy, God wants us to go and comfort others that He brings our way. We are to comfort others in the same way we were helped. But somehow we have forgotten this. Somehow the church has traded our role from hospital, shelter and sanctuary for a country club? We pray for each other, we encourage each other, God brings us comfort but we don’t take the same comfort to the world. God has commanded us to take His love to the streets. That is what He did. Today, bring your own burdens to the Lord. Let Him comfort you. And when He does, go with the same compassion He had and go comfort someone else.
TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, I pray that You, in all of Your compassion, would comfort me in my struggles. And as You do, I ask that You would bring people into my life that I could comfort in return. Thank You for Your love. In Jesus’ name.
AMEN
TODAY’S VISUALIZATION & MEDITATION
I will comfort others the way God comforts me
See God in all His mercy and compassion comforting you. Feel His love embrace you, comfort you and give you encouragement. Now see God sending you to others. Feel His compassion flow through you. Feel the empathy in your heart as you start to comfort others, the way God comforted you. Sense a deep joy as you reach out to others with the comfort of Christ.