
If you have ever seen the commercial for My Pillow pillows then you have seen the two for one offer from their company. I’m sure they are a great pillow and the second pillow for free is an enticing offer and I know some who have taken that deal and love it. Paul writes to the church in Corinth with a two for one pillow sale as well. Pillows give us comfort and our comfort is best experienced with a great pillow. God is our pillow and He is the best!!! In fact, scripture says He is ALL COMFORT!
2 Corinthians 1: 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 5 For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ. 6 But if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; or if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which is effective in the patient enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer; 7 and our hope for you is firmly grounded, knowing that as you are sharers of our sufferings, so also you are sharers of our comfort.
You may say, ‘What two for one deal?” To which I would point you to the scripture in verses 3 and 4 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. God is not just our comfort in times of need. He is ALL comfort in times of need. ALLLLLLL. When He comforts, it is over!! I have needed that comfort lately and He has come through again and again and I cannot praise Him enough for His great comfort. He has taught me some things with His comfort that have become eternal life lessons for now and the future. All comfort is HUGE for me and I hope so for you too. Why? Because life is tough and life smacks us in the face and life can become very uncomfortable at times. Life tried to mess up my entire Labor Day Weekend. The whole thing!! And it did a pretty good job of it until I put my trust more and more in God and His comfort kicked in big time. This is where a great scripture comes to mind Philippians 4:7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. This peace, this comfort, is real, and it quenches the thirst our heart has when it goes through a dry spell. Otherwise, known as LIFE!! Life has really been kicking me lately and God led me to this scripture as a way of knowing where my help comes from and how that help molds me.
In this molding process God showed me that I am a twofer. I get two pillows of comfort for the price of one Savior. The death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ took care of this for me…..and anyone else I encourage with this same comfort. Look at verse 5-7 5 For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ. 6 But if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; or if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which is effective in the patient enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer; 7 and our hope for you is firmly grounded, knowing that as you are sharers of our sufferings, so also you are sharers of our comfort. We can easily see there is a purpose in our living life and there is a purpose in God’s comfort. That purpose is to have a shared comfort with others as they share with us. The word is empathy and it is a major characteristic of our Savior, Jesus Christ. When Jesus walked this earth Scripture records and exhibits his deep empathy for a world that He was willing to go to the cross for and His example is something we “inherit” through the Holy Spirit in each of us. Paul knew this and shared it with the Corinthian church to show them their pain was not only felt and comforted by God, but felt and comforted by others who were believers. That truth is still applicable today and it causes empathy to pour out of our lives and this shared comfort ministers very effectively to all. God is the God of ALL comfort. Remember? Comfort for you, comfort for me, comfort for all.
When life smacks you in the head, God will give you comfort and that comfort (pillow) He gives you comes with another comfort (pillow) for others who need it. In the infectious disease world we would be known as “carriers.” Carriers of the cure for all comfort and His name is Jesus. When we don’t exhibit that comfort and share it with others, we experience an epidemic of faithlessness and that is not good.
SHARE THE CARE!!! Take the double dose of comfort the God of all comfort gives to us and give it to someone else who needs it. It is called Christianity and when it is in line with God’s Word, it works!! No more sleepless nights without hope. No more anxious days without care. The answer to all this anxious stuff is found in God and His pillow becomes MY PILLOW when we turn it all over to Him. Time to begin doing that today. And hey, I’ll do the same. Then we will all have the peace that passes all understanding. Corinth? Philippi? Sheffield? Does it really matter? He is the God of then and the God NOW!!
The Pilgrimage continues…..
David Warren
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