We found this notice in a Small Texas Hill country town in an old post office dating back to the early 1900’s

2 Corinthians 1

But Why?

In chapter 1, immediately after the brief greeting, Paul writes about comfort.

“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 will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ.”

I love this title for God: “the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort.” He dishes out and allows much affliction toward Paul and to some of us as well (for His own purposes in our lives-although I don’t like it) but He covers our afflictions with mercies and comfort.

I understand that God comforts but why so much affliction in the first place?

Paul gives us one of the whys; “For we do not want you to be unaware, brethren, of our affliction which came to us in Asia, that we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life; indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves so that we would not trust in ourselves,’ but in God who raises the dead.” Reason? So that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God.

How therefore should we live?

Lord, that’s a pretty good reason. Help me to respond to affliction in the right way. Not always groaning and muttering ‘why, why, why.’  But may I know and realize that you are building my faith and dependence upon You! You are stripping me of my own self-confidence and growing my faith and consequently, my usefulness to You. Thank you for Your comfort, your peace, and the confidence that you have a plan for my welfare and not for calamity, to give me a future and a hope! Amen!