2 Cor.1:3,4 – Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforts us in all our tribulation…
I this passage Paul touches on one of the most uncomfortable yet powerful aspects of ministry. He is describing the affect of being comforted by the Holy Spirit in the midst of treacherous circumstances, situations that put us in the place of total despair. It’s in those worst moments that the Holy Spirit visits us and comforts us that we are not only ministered to but equipped in supernatural ways to help others. Paul is telling the church in Corinth that he understood the difficult times they were going through because the Lord had met him numerous times when facing death. Here is Paul describing his trials in his own words – 2 Cor.11:24-27 – “Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; in weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.” Martin Luther also suffered intense persecution, here is how he described it.
“I have passed through unspeakable trials—trials in which no creature was able to counsel me…. I have passed through trials of such a nature that I thought no one on earth had them before…. I have at times thought … that I endured temptations just as great, just as grievous, and just as manifold as did St. Paul. There would never have been any remedy and advice for difficulties so great, for temptations so grievous, if Christ had not come to open the Bible to me and to advise and comfort me with his Word. Thus God (as Paul says …) comforts us in all our tribulations so that we are able to comfort those who are in affliction.”
Two of the most influential men in the last 2000 years are the Apostle Paul and Martin Luther. They were both hated and attacked mercilessly. They both found supernatural strength by the comfort of the Holy Spirit. The Lord will meet you in whatever you are facing after all He is called the Comforter.
