Re:Verse reading–2 Corinthians 1:1-11 (day two)
who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. vs. 4
Later in the New Testament James will record that the trials we endure should produce patience. (James 1:2) Did you ever consider that your trials, or as Paul refers to them here, afflictions, actually prepare you to empathize with others? This is not out of character for the gospel at all when you consider Jesus who gave up so much to walk among us, feel our burdens, encounter temptation, resistance, and persecution. Jesus’ ability to say “I understand” is one of the most remarkable characteristics of our remarkable God. This is not lost on Paul. We cannot attain Christ’s perfection, but we are able to see how God worked in our afflictions and as such we are able to share and comfort.
