2 Corinthians 1:1-7
I suppose I’ve read 2 Corinthians quite a bit in my life. And I suppose when rereading it I gloss over things that I deem unimportant. And I suppose others may do the same thing. And I suppose that God is forgiving for us doing so. And I suppose that at times (the time of this writing, you have already supposed) that God gives us enlightenment to glean a little understanding from aforementioned glossed over material.
I propose to get started.
After the introduction Paul immediately gives God some praise. “Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; 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.”
Now Paul is very familiar with trouble. Back in Acts we see where he was going down the road looking for folks to arrest when Christ pays him a visit and enlightens him that he has some work to do. Jesus sends him on his way. And it’s worth mentioning that after his encounter Paul can’t see anything.
So he goes into the town and Ananias meets and tells him what Christ would have him to do. Paul’s sight is restored, he is baptized, and his once enemies feed him and nurse him to health. God’s handiwork is all over that story. Comfort is provided when none is in sight (pun intended).
Well what about in early history? Where is the comfort there?
Old Noah knew a little about comfort. He spent a while cooped up with his family on an ark. If I may be so bold I’d say he was probably sick and tired of them before they got off the ark. God sent comfort to him in the shape of an olive leaf in the beak of a bird. The comfort there was that he could finally get away from his family and catch a little break.
Well, that’s all old junk. It’s 2020. Where’s my comfort?
There are times when I have felt like Paul after his encounter with Christ. I can’t see what I need to be doing. I try to fix myself and get back on track and I end up further in the ditch. But while I’m struggling with what I should do, God sends an Ananias to help me out. He takes many forms. Sometimes he’s a text in the middle of the day with an encouraging word. Sometimes he’s a devotion/bible reading that I’m doing. Whatever form he takes I get the comfort that I have been desiring and I know that it has come from God himself.
And when I see and recognize what that particular Ananias has done for me, it allows me to follow suit and (hopefully) provide the comfort that has been granted to me. Even if it’s insignificant as an olive leaf. That leaf that we give may (with God’s help) continue to grow and provide comfort for folks we don’t even know.
For what it’s worth Ananias literally means “whom Jehovah has graciously given.” May God allow us to comfort one another while we live here below.
Riley Lee
