January 19

Father of Compassion

"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 trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God."  
2 Corinthians. 1:3, 4

 When we realize that all our trials have a purpose in God's plan for our lives, they become opportunities for growth, not just an experience we must endure. Have you ever had the experience of comforting someone in a special way because you had experienced a similar trial in your own life? When we can impact the life of one of our brothers or sisters because we have "been there", we find ourselves praising God for the way in which He has led us. It is because we have felt the comfort of our Father, "the God of all comfort", that we can pass on that same kind of comfort to others. It is because of the struggles we have experienced and the comfort that we have received that we have been equipped with the tools necessary to pass this comfort on to others. Sometimes, years may go by before we will be able to use what we have learned, but we can trust God that there is a purpose and a time for passing on the comfort we have received. Let us be ever aware of God’s comfort in our lives, so that we may complete the circle by passing His comfort on to others. This is the legacy we can leave behind; we can be known as God's comforters.

Thank You Father, for Your comfort. Thank You for never leaving me alone, but for always being there for me. Help me to reach out to others and comfort them as You have comforted me. Give me a ministry of compassion that I might help others to see You! Amen