2 Corinthians – Chapter 1

For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. 2 Corinthians 1:8-9 – If someone were trying to sell someone on Christianity, these verses are likely not going to be the top two shared. Paul was being real with the church in Corinth, he had been through the ringer in his ministry time in Asia. While scripture isn’t clear on exactly what it was he is referring to, what is made clear is the level of despair he found himself in due to it. He felt he was on death row, unsure if each day was going to be his last. And why was this Paul’s story? Because he was choosing to live faithfully for the Lord. Paul and his crew were experiencing the worst of life because of their choice to follow the Lord. We even see that God allowed such turmoil to take place and remain in their life so they would further grow in their reliance on Him. Let passages like this remind you that an active, faithful Christian life isn’t going to be always peaceful and pain free. Where Christianity is at today, many in the church connect discomfort and struggle with signs that either they aren’t following God or God is unfaithful. Maybe, like this passage, God is allowing the struggle to remain so we learn to rely on Him more. Maybe discomfort isn’t a sign you’re off track but actually on it, for rarely do we see in scripture those faithfully servicing existing in pure comfort. Following the Lord will include the hardest of hards, but know even if God allows such things to remain in our story, it’s purpose is to further our dependence on Him. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 3124

Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. 2 Corinthians 1:9 – Doesn’t this verse hit home with our question we often ask as to “Why am I going through all this right now!?” We pray, we seek, and we search for reasoning why God is making us go through what we are going through. Sometimes these stages of our life are so hard they are like what Paul is saying in they felt like they were being sentenced to death. But God isn’t absent, God isn’t forgetful about you, God is encouraging you to lean on Him more. Nothing we go through in life will be more than He can handle. Often it will be more than we can handle on our own, but that’s why God wants an intimate relationship with you so that in those times of overwhelming struggle He can overwhelm you with His strength and love. Yet how would we know to rely on Him if we always could handle everything ourselves? While we think we know this world, God knows it better. He knows what is ahead of us in our story and wants us to learn now to lean on Him rather than ourselves to get by. Don’t take this struggle in your story as a sign of God’s absence, He is giving you an opportunity to see how big He is if you let Him show you. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 – God comforts us so we can comfort others. How beautiful is that! Here we see so clearly God’s love for us and the world. He sees our pain and brings to us the comfort we need in the middle of our trials and in the midst of all that is opening the doors for us to be His tools to show His love and comfort to others in pain as well. Today know God sees what you’re dealing with and He is in the business of bringing to you the comfort you need. He also though is offering you the encouragement of sharing that comfort with others in need of help. God is so good. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 719

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. 2 Corinthians 1:3-5 – Lots of truth being dropped here. As Christians we’ll still suffer. If Christ, the one we are following suffered greatly, then it’s only natural that those who follow His example and direction would taste some of that suffering too. Yet another truth is those who suffer will as well experience God’s deep comfort in that suffering. The suffering of Christ and the comfort of God, two things each true follower of Jesus can expect. What do we do with all that? Be the avenue of God’s comfort for someone else in suffering. We’ll have our own struggles, but others will too. We are finding God’s comfort and it often comes in the shape of another person in our story speaking and stepping into our story. Be that then for someone else. Be the means God uses to comfort someone struggling. If you’ve been comforted, comfort others. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac- Daily DEVO 2061