by Jordyn van Gaalen

Patient Endurance in Affliction

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking this SoundCloud link.

“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.”
2 Corinthians 1:3-7 New International Version

I’ve been praying often for comfort. For comfort through the uncertainty, comfort during times of fear, comfort in the unknown. 

Our Heavenly Father is compassionate and His character is that of comfort. He has promised that we have this divine comfort in ALL our troubles. We receive it directly from God. God grants us this gift, but He doesn’t stop there. He intends that we comfort those in trouble with the comfort of God Himself. 

Across our state, across our country, across our world, today we can relate to each other in so many ways. Though we are separated physically, there is unity in what we are going through. It looks unique for each individual, each family, each household, yet we are all faced with this trial and with these changes. 

And because we can relate to the sufferings in our own way, we can share in that comfort with empathy, with understanding. This Divine comfort God promises us during affliction can be shared with our neighbors and with our world. 

This comfort we find in the midst of struggles produces “patient endurance.” Our experiences, the process of working through it, and the act of spreading this comfort with those in need of it are building character and producing fruit.

We can bring a comfort from Christ our Lord that the world cannot provide. We cannot find comfort in false security – in jobs or family or health or money. All of that will fall away in their own time. True comfort comes from Christ alone. 

Copyright Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado