Comfort Shared

Hi, and welcome to Our Daily Bread. Our reading is titled, Comfort Shared, and it was written by Goby Lee. When my daughter Haley came to visit me, I saw her three-year-old son, Callum, wearing a strange piece of clothing. Called a scratch-me-not, it's a long-sleeved top with mittens attached to the sleeves. My grandson, Callum, suffers from chronic eczema, a skin disease that makes his skin itch, making it rough and sore. The scratch-me-not prevents Callum from scratching and injuring his skin, Haley explained. Seven months later, Haley's skin flared up, and she couldn't stop scratching. I now understand what Callum endures, Haley confessed to me.

Maybe I should wear a scratch-me-not. Haley's situation reminded me of 2 Corinthians 1, verses 3 through 5, in which Paul says that our God is 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. Sometimes God allows us to go through trying times such as an illness, loss, or crisis.

He teaches us through our suffering to appreciate the greatest suffering that Christ went through on our behalf on the cross. In turn, when we rely on Him for comfort and strength, we are able to comfort and encourage others in their suffering. Let's reflect on whom we can extend comfort because of what God has brought us through.

Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from 2 Corinthians chapter 1, verses 3 through 8. 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. We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia.

We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. Let's pray. Loving God, thank you for comforting us in all of the struggles, trials, and tribulations we go through. Help us to become a source of comfort to others. It's in Jesus' name that we pray. Amen. Today's encouragement was provided by Our Daily Bread Ministries.