Arthur S. Way’s translation of 2 Corinthians1:4 is, “Blessed be he who in all my affliction comforts me so perfectly that I have comfort to spare.” Beautiful! Part of God’s purpose for letting us experience the crushing circumstances of life is to prepare us for ministry to others. Help from heaven does not arrive via angelic messenger. Not normally. It is delivered to a broken heart via the voice of a person prepared for such ministry by the experience of similar heartbreak. “Comfort one another with these words” says the Bible in 1 Thessalonians 4:18. No one is more qualified to do this task than the person who KNOWS through personal experience both the affliction and the help that is available in Christ. When we suffer with Christ (dealing with our anger and doubts, turning again and again to trust God) our hearts are changed and prepared for ministry in a broken world. He gives us comfort to spare.
On my way to work today I became suddenly aware of the brilliantly green grass in an area along side the road which, because of the lack of rain, had been so dead looking for so long. Then I remembered the Lord told me today that He was going to increase my revelation of Him. As I recalled that, all of the sudden hope sprung forth in my spirit. Knowing that all creation reveals God’s invisible qualities, his eternal power and divine nature, I began to “catch” this revelation of how a downpour of the Spirit could lead to Life… and so quickly….changing everything. Remembering the seemingly overnight change in my own life when I first truly experienced the Lord, I began to catch the vision further. I have been praying a lot for our nation lately… how encouraging to remember that what is impossible with man is possible with God.
We do indeed serve a God who gives us an abundance of what we need so that we might have enough to supply the needs of those around us. Praise God!!
This includes Hope and I am so very thankful for it.