He comforts us so we can comfort others

"He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us." 2 Corinthians 1:4 NLT

To say I was happy to be coaching runners again would be a total understatement. For many months, the Couch to 5k program that I love to teach was put on hold because of COVID. Thankfully though, with social distancing measures put in place, the classes finally resumed last night. And as I surveyed the runners coming into the gym for the briefing of what to expect from the eight-week program, I couldn't help but smile. Many of these new runners I knew would not be here had they not been accompanied by their friends who had been in some of my previous classes; friends that knew what it felt like to be anxious and apprehensive about starting something new and no doubt comforted them with the words, "You can do this." 

And you know, when it comes to being comforted, the Bible tells us that God "comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others" so that "when they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us." You see, in this world we will have troubles. Being a believer doesn't spare us from them; but being a believer does mean that our Father who loves us with a love that we cannot fathom this side of heaven will come alongside us (many times using people to do it) to console us and ease our feelings of pain, grief, anxiety and distress. And it's this loving comfort we receive that we can then extend to someone else going through the same thing we went through. 

So if you're walking through the valley today, praise the Lord that you are not alone. The God of all comfort is there to give you strength and hope; the same strength and hope that you will one day pass along to someone walking through the same valley. Isn't our God so very good? 

Heavenly Father, thank You for the comfort that You give us in our time of need. We praise You for loving us so much. Help us to always remember the way You lifted us up, encouraged us and removed our fears in our time of distress that we might extend that same comfort to someone else. Use us to ease another person's burdens Lord that they might feel your love just as You used people to do the same for us. It's in your precious name we pray Jesus. Amen. 

Happy Running!!!

God of all comfort