Thoughts for Life: The God Of All Comfort

~ Alyson Kieda- Radamenes was just a kitten when his owner dropped him off at an animal shelter, thinking he was too ill to recover. The kitten was nursed back to health and adopted by the vet.

He then became a fulltime resident at the shelter and now spends his days "comforting" cats and dogs—just out of surgery or recovering from an illness—through his warm presence and gentle purr. [Google image, Puppy and kitten)

That story is a small picture of what our loving God does for us—and what we can do for others in return. He cares for us in our sickness and struggles, and He soothes us with His presence.

The apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians calls our God, "the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort" (1:3). When we are discouraged, depressed, or mistreated, He's there for us. When we turn to Him in prayer, He "comforts us in all our troubles' (v. 4).

Verse 4 doesn't end there. Paul, who had experienced intense suffering, continues,

"so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God." Our Father comforts us, and when we've experience His comfort, we're enabled to comfort others.

Our Compassionate Savior, who suffered for us, is more than able to comfort us in our suffering and distress [v. 5]. He helps us through our pain and equips us to do the same for others.

Let's pray-

"Dear God, thank You for Your comforting presence in my pain and sorrow. Help me in turn to be a comfort to others." [4/ 22/21 ODB]

Our Ambassador to Israel, Michael David Evens' comments:

"Sometimes people we should be able to count on turn against us. But no matter what others may say, God hears when we cry out to Him in prayer."

Psalm 4:1-3 "Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness: thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress; have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer. O ye sons of men, how long will ye turn my glory into shame? how long will ye love vanity, and seek after lying? Selah. But know that the LORD hath set apart him that is godly for himself: the LORD will hear when I call unto him."

531-535 one-line Scriptures for those of you who want to learn some more verses this week- or to review them from when they were first posted-

531- Prov. 13:12 "Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life."

532- Matt. 19:26 "But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."

533- Ps. 89:18 "For the LORD is our defence, and the Holy One of Israel is our king."

534- Job 28:23 "God understandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth the place thereof."

535- Ps. 119:11 "Thy word have I hid in mine heart that i might not sin against thee."

Quote for today-

~ A. B. Simpson- "There are some things that we must let go in order to keep. There are crisis moments through which a person must pass in the throes of a great conflict ere he can find lasting peace. And so there is a moment in every life when we meet God and by a supreme surrender enter into His sovereign will and His perfect peace . . . God has been leading you up to it all your days. There is some decisive act, some supreme surrender, some great letting go or taking hold which He will show you, which He probably has shown you and in which you will find the problem solved, the die cast, the door opened and the land possessed."

Words of wisdom-

~ Others may grumble about the weather they’re having, as we often do. But may we learn to appreciate ours, not complaining about it, but making the best of it we can, knowing that God’s in charge.

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Constant Communion