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We have made it through one full month calendar month under lockdown in Alberta plus an additional two weeks in March. I thank God for His grace in seeing us through this far. Yet, this time progress has not come without cost. Several in our church community have lost loved ones during this time – one specifically to COVID-19. Many more have experienced job reduction or job loss. Health care workers continue to work to help those in their wards while wondering if they will bring the virus home to their family. Seniors and singles experience further isolation. All have faced unique trials with the shutdown of our overall society.

Thankfully, God walks with us through all this. Consider these words from 2 Corinthians 1:3-4- “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”

The word, translated comfort, occurs four times in quick succession. The author describes God as the God of all comfort. Comfort in this context means “to life one’s spirits and strengthen hope for what lies down the road.” When we are afflicted, God meet us with His comfort. So any afflictions we have faced and will face will be met by God’s comfort.

But notice it doesn’t end there. Receiving God’s comfort is not the end of the process. In a sense, our afflictions become purposeful when we pass on the comfort we have received from God to others. “He comforts us in our affliction SO THAT we may able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” When we received and experience God’s comfort during a time of affliction, we can then pass on that comfort when we encounter someone else in such affliction.

I experienced this once the evening I received the news of my mother’s passing. I shared with a few friends and asked for their prayers. But then one of them showed up on my doorstep about an hour later. Their presence and questions about my Mom were a great comfort to us. I tasted God’s comfort and learned afresh the critical importance of passing on God’s comfort in the moment of someone else’s affliction.

So if you’re afflicted with something today, first bring it to God. Bless Him that He is the God of all comfort. Receive His comfort. Then comfort someone else in affliction with the comfort you have received from God.

“We praise you God our Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. We bless you as our Father of mercies and God of all comfort. Thank you for your ongoing comfort that meets every affliction we face. Help us to receive it and then pass it on to afflicted friends today.”

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