2 Corinthians 1:3–4
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.
Scripture Insights
I grew up with chronic asthma, that condition where the airways in your lungs narrow and fill with fluid. Breathing becomes difficult, and you feel intense pressure in your chest. There were many times as a boy when it felt like a baby elephant was sitting on my chest. Asthmatic episodes are often called “attacks.” Many of those attacks resulted in my parents taking me to the emergency room for relief of those heavy symptoms. Thankfully, by the time I was eighteen, I had pretty much outgrown the worst of this condition, as is common for childhood asthmatics.
In my college years, I began to serve as a sponsor at Nazarene district kids’ camps. At one of the earliest of these, a young man experienced a severe asthma attack. Other sponsors became frantic, not knowing how to respond, which only heightened the anxiety of the one suffering. Because I could fully identify with what he was experiencing, I was able to calm and comfort him and give some guidance for treatment to those overseeing the camp.
The God of all comfort knows all the pressure we feel in our lives. He sees the attacks we face. He is with us and for us in every moment of heaviness and pain. He brings us through, and then gives us the grace to help those facing the same kinds of troubles we have endured.
If you feel pressure in your life today, ask the God of all comfort to strengthen you. He will—and then in some moment of trouble, you will be equipped to do the same for another.
Today’s Prayer
Lord, you know what we are facing today. Please be our strength, our shield, and our comfort. And Lord, you know someone else is dealing with the heavy pressures of life today to whom we might bring your comfort and presence. Show us who they are. Send us to them with your love and compassion.
—Jeffrey Johnson
CotN District Superintendent, South Texas
