Comforting Others

I greet you in Jesus’ precious name! It is Sunday morning, it is the 5th of March, 2023, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today.

“God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”
2 Corinthians 1:4

Why do we as believers have to suffer so much? Well, we are living in a fallen world and you and I are not exempt from hardship or trouble, not at all. When we gave our lives to Jesus Christ, He never promised us that we would be exempt from trouble. No, in fact, that false preaching, “Come to Jesus and all your troubles will be over” is not true. I can’t find that scripture in the Bible because it is not there. Jesus said He would walk with you and me through the fire but He is not taking us out of the fire. It is a wonderful opportunity to witness for Christ when we are going through tough times. 

“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
John 16:33

Nowhere in the Bible does it say that our problems will be over if we come to Christ, on the contrary, but why do we go through those hardships and trials? Well, one of the reasons is so that you and I can identify with those who are going through tough times. I am talking about the loss of a loved one, mourning. Do you know, if you have never lost somebody very close to you, you won’t understand what a person is going through and the tendency is to go to the person, give them a scripture, pray for them and tell them to wake up and get going. That’s not what they want. Do you know what they want? They want you to sit next to them, when you have lost a child, when you have just heard bad news that your company has been declared bankrupt, and they want you to put your arm around them and they want you to cry with them, and say to them, “It's okay, I have walked this road myself and I am telling you it is not going to last. The Lord will bring us through.” That is what they need and that is what the scripture in Corinthians is all about.

When you have been through it yourself, then you understand and you can sympathise genuinely with those who are suffering.

God bless you and have a wonderful day today,
Goodbye.