And our hope of you is stedfast, knowing, that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation. (2 Corinthians 1:7)

A friend mailed me some of her homemade pottery. Upon opening the box, I discovered the precious items had been damaged during their journey. One of the cups had shattered into a few large pieces, a jumble of shards, and clumps of clay dust. After my husband glued the broken mess back together, I displayed the beautifully blemished cup on a shelf.

Like that pieced-together pottery, I have scars that prove I can still stand strong after the difficult times God’s brought me through. That cup of comfort reminds me that sharing how the Lord has worked in and through my life can help others during their times of suffering.

The apostle Paul praises God because He is the “The Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort” (2 Cor. 1:3). The Lord uses our trials and sufferings to make us more like Him. His comfort in our troubles equips us to encourage others as we share what He did for us during our time of need (v. 4).

As we reflect on Christ’s suffering, we can be inspired to persevere in the midst of our own pain, trusting that God uses our experiences to strengthen us and others toward patient endurance (vv. 5–7). Like Paul, we can be comforted in knowing that the Lord redeems our trials for His glory. We can share His cups of comfort and bring reassuring hope to the hurting.

Lord, thank You for using us to provide comfort, encouragement, and hope to others who are suffering. We praise You for all You’ve done, are doing, and will continue to do to comfort us through our own afflictions. Amen

As I read this I thought about a recent trial I just went through, during the trial it was uncomfortable but with prayer and God’s help I came through it victoriously. The unknown can eat at you if you allow it and the enemy will try to whisper lies of defeat into your ear but if we would just stop and take a moment to grasp the truth behind today’s devotion, we can be comforted in knowing that the Lord redeems our trials for His glory! What truth!! So even if your going through something today just remember, your going through and your not meant to stay but to keep pushing on to the other side and in return you never know who’s life you will impact because of what you’ve gone through. Praise Him through the storm.

Have a wonderful day in The Lord!

Today’s Reading is 2 Corinthians 1:3-11