Daily Devotion with Pastor Tong Liu: Today's Passage

2 Corinthians 1:4

...Who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.

Paul said here that God will comfort us "in all our troubles." We can clearly understand one thing here - Comfort is from God, but troubles are not. God indeed want us to be comforted so that we may comfort others, but troubles are definitely not from God. Troubles are direct or indirect results from the sin of humans. Direct results are the painful consequences from sins that we committed, and indirect results are how the sins committed by others impacted us. For example, a famine could be the result of inability to carry out farming activities as a consequence of excessive tree-cutting and loss of top soil.

The world is filled with suffering because of sin; however, in the midst of all the suffering, God can provide comfort and strength to those who believe in Him. John 16:33 says that "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." The Lord promised us that in the time of troubles He will give us comfort. Many believes in the churches in China were persecuted and locked up in prison, but they lived out testimonies of Christ. Some of the prisoners only have one slice of bread, but they would give it away to those who need it more desperately. Such testimonies have touched many to turn back to Jesus, and thus the gospel spread out among them.

God will provide us with sufficient comfort and grace in the time of trouble. When we are comforted, we can't just hide in inside us, but we need to comfort others who are in trouble. "Queen of the Dark Chamber," Christiana Tsai, was bedridden for 50 years, but whoever visits her are encouraged by her faith. She often says that throughout the 50 years she seldom asked God why, but she kept on asking what she could do for the Lord today. Through her testimony, the weak were uplifted, non-believers accepted the Lord, and the depressed were encouraged. I felt that her testimony can be so touching because she has experienced all kinds of temptations, but also abundance of the Lord. That's why she can comfort those in trouble with the comfort from God. May God help you and I to comfort and help others!

Pray with Pastor Tong

God, we thank you because you love us, and you give us comfort in the midst of trouble. May the Lord open our hearts so that we'd never complain about the circumstance, but to be filled with joy and peace. I thank you and I pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!