For thought and meditation

[rl69]

Pass It On

2 Corinthians 1:3-5
3 Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; 4 Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. 5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.

As I watch the events unfolding around us and realize that people are doing untold things in the name and fear of their God, I am even that much more thankful for the God of Heaven, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He is the God of all comfort and the Father of mercies. He sees us in whatever state we are in and pours out His mercy upon us and brings us comfort in time of great distress.

While He comforts us for our own benefit, even more importantly, He seeks for us to pass it on to those who are also in need of comfort. Nothing we receive from God is ever for us alone. We are designed as a conduit, a conveyance of God's grace towards others. We are given the opportunity to multiply the comfort and mercy of God. When God reaches down and comforts us with his mercy, we can, in turn, comfort many others with that same gift. What a blessing to know that we can take a blessing from God and multiply it toward others. Just like Jesus took the loaves and the fishes to feed a multitude of people, we can comfort many with the comfort we receive from God.

Finally, those who are able to console others with abundance are those who have abundantly experienced the sufferings of Christ. If you are going through a time of trial and suffering right now, realize that the comfort you receive from God abounds through Christ so that you can pass that comfort on to others in need.

[buckwheatpaul]

He seeks for us to pass it on to those who are also in need of comfort = ministering and witnessing to others. Great post rl69! Paul

[Pine Baron]

Thank you rl69. A proper perspective indeed.

[USMC87]

Excellent!

[square butte]

Thanks for passing it on this morning rl69

[Blackwater]

Isn't it interesting that the more we pass on, the more we have left? Truly, this HAS to be supernatural. Thanks, RL. You really post the greatest stuff!

[Boaz]

Passage to be used and passed on through service to GOD and others . Thank you rl69

[shoot-n-lead]

As previously stated.."Excellent".

[Oklahoma Rebel]

I have a very trying few months coming up, and anxiety, and fear of rejection and failure overwhelm me. please pray that god's mercy and comfort will be with me, thankyou, Travis

[Blackwater]

Travis, we pray for courage sometimes, and then are given trials so we can LEARN courage and faith. This seems to be your lot at the moment. Just keep your focus on your Faith, and God will see you through it. And when you've come to the end of it, you'll look back, and remember the old story about the man who was walking with God along a beach. They had come a good ways, when the man looked back, and noticed that at some points along the way, there were only one set of footprints in the sand instead of two. He looked at God and asked, "Lord, why are there only one set of prints in some spots behind us. Why did you abandon me when I needed it most?" The Lord smiled, and looked at the man, and said, "My son, that's where I was carrying you."

Keep your faith, and when you get further down the line, I think you'll look back, and see that those spots where you couldn't carry on yourself, were made possible to get through only by your faith in God, and the knowledge that He always has something better in store for you, IF you'll just keep the faith. We never need faith more than when it's most difficult for us to keep it. This is how He teaches us what we truly need to know the most - simple faith in Him. But we have to execute that faith in order to be able to look back, and see how crucial and powerful it really, truly is. Go with God, and He'll see you through even the darkest nights, and lead you when you don't know which way to go, IF you just let him, and have real faith in Him. That's often not really easy, but that's why He gives us these times - so we can LEARN it, and learn the real and abiding and everlasting value of it all. It's the hardest lessons we learn from the most, and that's true for all of us, no matter what it is we're facing in life.

Life isn't easy. It was never meant to be. It's always been a challenge, because only when we meet a challenge, and overcome it by whatever assets we have, can we ever really come to appreciate the real and everlasting value of God's grace and His mighty hand. It really CAN get us through anything we'll ever face in this life. Anything, and all the time, if we'll just let Him. It's letting Him handle it that is the key oftentimes.

Keep the faith. You'll overcome whatever faces you if you do that. God bless you.

[Boaz]

Most times life is not what it is...it's what you make of it .