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9/12 Reading Portions: 2 Samuel 7; 2 Corinthians 1; Ezekiel 15; Psalms 56-57
2 Corinthians 1:4
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.
PARAKLETE
There is no comfort to compare with that from the Lord God, because there is no real comfort apart from Him. He is the God of all comfort (2 Cor 1:3). The Holy Spirit is called the Comforter, παράκλητος (par-AK-lā-tos) from the original Greek (John 14:26, KJV). The Greek may also be translated Helper, Advocate, Counselor, or Intercessor. God comforts us through the indwelling Holy Spirit (John 14:16-18), who invites us, invokes us, implores us, calls us, consoles us, and begs us to glorify Christ (John 16:14) as He testifies of Him (John 15:26); just as the Greek word for “comfort” in our verse, παρακαλέω (par-ak-al-E-ō), means all those aforementioned things. At the same time, the Holy Spirit also intercedes to the Father on our behalf, invoking Him, imploring Him, and correcting our weak, ignorant prayers because we don’t always know what or how to pray (Rom 8:26-27).
Paul, here, brings to us another aspect of God’s comfort, whereas He, God, consoles us in our affliction. Since we are crucified with Christ while we sojourn in this world (Gal 2:20), we are beset all around by the ravages of sin, spiritually speaking, joining together with Christ in the fellowship of His sufferings upon the cross (Phil 3:10). When we suffer the afflictions of this sinful, fallen world, Christ comforts us because of the sorrows and afflictions He suffered on the cross. Likewise, we have the blessed privilege to be as our Lord by comforting others who sorrow and suffer affliction in this life, just as we’ve been comforted by the Lord. Certainly, it is the Spirit of Christ in us who actually comforts those to whom we come alongside; yet in doing so, God gives us the privilege of being active participants in the witness and testimony of Christ’s kingdom until the Lord Jesus returns. Hallelujah! What a Savior!
The God of all comfort
Secures us in truth
Through glimpses of Christ’s cross
With power to soothe.
"and correcting our weak, ignorant prayers because we don’t always know what or how to pray (Rom 8:26-27)."
this Might be why the prayers of the Saints need the Incense of Angels in the book of Revelation?
Amen! Praise God for Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit! 🙏❤️ As He comforts us, He gives us the heart and His love to comfort others.