Comfort In Chaos

You will restore me to even greater honor and comfort me once again. Psalm 71:21

Have you ever noticed that sometimes the very people you are supposed to be ministering to and blessing end up blessing you? I have a friend who discovered an unusual growth, and during the testing and biopsy process, he and his wife sent us the following verses:

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 have received from God. . . . We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many. (2 Corinthians 1:3-4, 8-11, NIV, emphasis added)

I had been depressed about some serious issues until I got that letter. The passage changed my perspective completely. I knew that I was on the prayer team for my friend because God encourages us to pray for one another, but the phrase “as you help us by your prayers” gave powerful new significance to the work of prayer. In addition, it gave a new slant on the issues I was struggling with. I was reminded that God doesn’t waste our pain; instead, when we go through tough places, God brings purpose to our pain. My time in God’s vise grip was preparing me for the role of comforter in a whole new set of circumstances. When life is pressing in on you, look around for purpose, for the lesson, for the way God is training you to serve and encourage others.