Q1. Comfort and Comforting

[wifee]

1a)God comforts me each day in everyway, body,mind and spirit.by his love through Jesus sacrifice for me, inner peace amidst difficulties,and promise that he will always be with me, my refuge, my source of hope for future,wisdom and strength for each day. He sees the bigger picture.His comfort is different from friends/family it is always constant and affect me deeper in my soul.

b)Each day I can tell him how I feel, bring requests for guidance and hear from him through his word as God’s Spirit prompts me.With his comfort I am able to stand firm&face trials with hope.

c) I can share with others how Jesus has brought me peace and comfort in times of severe illness, and point them to Jesus in their suffering.

D)I can share scriptural words of hope,comfort and peace with those in need.Psalm 46:1 God is our refuge &strength, a very present help in trouble.John 14:27Peace I leave with you;my peace I give to you..let not your heart be troubled. Philippians4:6-7In nothing be anxious..the peace of God,which passes all understanding shall guard your hearts and your thought in Christ Jesus.

[Craig]

Q1. (2 Corinthians 1:3-7) What kind of comfort do you receive from your faith in God? From your personal daily relationship with God? How might you share the blessing of this kind of comfort with a friend or relative who is currently suffering? What words of comfort can you bring to others?          

 

 

The comfort I receive from my faith and trust in God on a daily basis is best expressed in Ps. 23.  My walk  and trust in the Lord through all the circumstances of life serve as a verbal and visual witness of what God can do for a person who permits God to be God in their live.

 

I think as we put our faith and trust in God through all things that speaks louder words.  People oftentimes say one thing about God when all is well but when a health crisis, economic trouble, etc. enters their life they act lost, panic, etc. leaving others to ask God is this God you believe in?  As a pastor I have seen this countless times.

 

In sum, I would say: let God really be your God and wait upon Him, because as he has comforted me through the years in all kinds of circumstances he will see you through also.  Read Ps. 23 and make a reality in your life."

[royk]

Q1. (2 Corinthians 1:3-7) What kind of comfort do you receive from your faith in God? From your personal daily relationship with God? How might you share the blessing of this kind of comfort with a friend or relative who is currently suffering? What words of comfort can you bring to others? 

 

 

In my spiritual men's group we talk about this all the time, reminding each other to pray. There is the physical comfort of feeling God's love, there is also the benefit of noticing the blessing he gives us all the time because He loves us. In this same men's group very often, someone is suffering a bad moment in life and we must support and encourage him to remember to pray, and we must give him fellowship; who knows, some day I might need this kind of support! Best to pay it forward...

 

[JanMary]

Q1. (2 Corinthians 1:3-7) What kind of comfort do you receive from your faith in God?

 

He's the God of ALL Comfort.....He's the One I turn to whenever I'm sad, grieving, lonely, in trouble or trials, afraid...and the Father who holds me "on His lap", speaking encouragement and grace words to remind me who and Who's I am...and that I'm not alone, He never leaves me for one second (though I may feel alone). He reminds me of His promises, and If I've forgotten them in my fear, He speaks them over me again. Because of the abuse in my childhood, He reassures me of His care and watchfulness, and that no matter what circumstance I may be in, that He is my deliverer, and sustainer.

 

From your personal daily relationship with God?

 

He's the first One I meet with in the morning before anyone else is up....As I "feed" on Him, He strengthens and prepares me for the day ahead. I can face the day knowing He's my shield and rear guard...my guide for every situation.

 

 How might you share the blessing of this kind of comfort with a friend or relative who is currently suffering? What words of comfort can you bring to others?

 

One of the gifts He's given me is encouragement....so I find that those words of comfort from Him come quite naturally when I'm with others. It's true that we are able to comfort others with the comfort we've received! A recent suicide in my family coincided with a friend's family member taking his life...she had been told by someone that suicide is an unpardonable "sin" and that her son is in hell as a result. I was able to comfort her by reminding her that her son was a believer in Jesus as his Savior, and that the only unpardonable sin is rejecting God's gift of salvation through Jesus....and that when we didn't know whether my brother was dead or alive in a coma across the country, I asked the Lord, Where is Jim?, and heard "He's with me!".....we learned later that he died instantly but had been put on life support until family could arrive at the hospital.

[nauldo]

The comfort I receive from my faith in God is that of an assurance that I have nothing to worry about. Our God, our Father sees all, and knows all, knowing the ending from the beginning, its already been taken care of. Romans 8:28 tells us that all things work together for the good and 1Peter tells us to cast all your care upon him;for he careth for you. 

My personal relationship with God lets me know that He is true to his word. Numbers 23:19 states that God is not a man that he should lie nor the son of man that he should repent.

I can share this comfort by encouraging my friend or relative to trust in God as I have learned to do. Past experiences have proven to me that God is able.

Words of comfort I can bring to others would be based on my own experiences with God. The Bible tells us that faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God.

[dixonle]

Q1. (2 Corinthians 1:3-7) What kind of comfort do you receive from your faith in God? From your personal daily relationship with God? How might you share the blessing of this kind of comfort with a friend or relative who is currently suffering? What words of comfort can you bring to others?
http://www.joyfulheart.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=1071

 

Faith in God gives me complete trust in His presence at all times in my life and that provides me with great comfort.  No matter what I experience I know God understands and that His compassion is incomparable and I know that He will provide a way through whatever the circumstance may be.  Walking with Him every day through my faith, through my daily morning devotional reading, Bible study, journaling and prayer gives me all comfort to know that He is with me wherever I go and no matter I am doing.  And because I have personally experienced the grace and comfort and blessings of God, I can relate to someone else who may be experiencing similar issues with “empathy” and therefore can listen and provide encouragement to them. And what helps me the most is that as I experience the comfort of the LORD Jesus and I can likewise point another to the great comfort they can receive from that same kind of relationship with God.

[WinstonY]

Q1. (2 Corinthians 1:3-7) What kind of comfort do you receive from your faith in God? From your personal daily relationship with God? How might you share the blessing of this kind of comfort with a friend or relative who is currently suffering? What words of comfort can you bring to others?

 

Lesson 1, Question 1

 

Our faith in God gives us comfort for we know then in his son Jesus we have the answer to all suffering.  Suffering does several things according to Bultman (1) .  Comfort does not mean that suffering will disappear or be taken away rather it means that the one suffering is freed from the solitariness of suffering and sets that one in community.  The togetherness of community enables the one suffering to more easily bear the effects of suffering.  In some way the comfort allows a degree of sharing of the suffering.

We can say with Paul “we are hard pressed between the two (death and life). My desire is to depart and be with Christ for that is far better.” (Pphilippians 1: 21-23) So then if our suffering leads to death and eternal life with Jesus.   The notes suggest that Paul links our suffering with “the suffering of Christ”.  Often we suffer heartache and trouble that is common to all humankind.  But sometimes we suffer for our commitment to a lifestyle congruent with his notes.  My granddaughter’s teacher told her class that although Jesus did live his resurrection was impossible.  My granddaughter and five others in the class who were Christians were outraged and felt that they were ‘alone’ and had to stand against the wall of public opinion.  Think of a family with an athlete who has practice for a game at church time.  What pressure is excerted on them.  These are every day examples of the persecution that Christian modern society must resist.  Here and now we are suffering for Christ. (‘we’ rather than ‘them’ because the body of Christ is one.)

Secondly Paul suggests that God has graciously granted us the privilege not only of believing in Christ but of suffering with him as well (1.29) Really it is a blessing to suffer, as Jesus did, for “suffering refines and purifies the one who suffers”.  As a Christian church we suffer not as individuals but we suffer as a community supported and defined by Christ.  Jesus, the Lamb, has suffered for us and in his suffering we are promised an eternal relationship with God in Jesus.

 

(ii) In our daily relationship with Christ we get comfort from (a) prayer  support from the church - the body of Christ and © from Christ’s daily participation in our lives which indicate a purpose and a plan in the affairs of humankind.

 

(iii) We are able to share (a) our own receipt of comfort in telling the story that Jesus is alive and well and willing and able to share his comfort with them © reminding them of the Holy Spirit the advocate and comforter who comes from Christ and (d) a prayer to thoughtfully bring them a sense of grace, quietness and comfort.

 

(iv) The words of Jesus, Paul, the apostles and the saints of the church which enable the community to share in the suffering.   As we see ourselves as members of the body of Christ, we are able to be comforted knowing Christ also suffered and he is, in fact, suffering along with us.

 

[Krissi]

 

I am at the crest of the worst trial of my life, at this moment, so these verses speak deeply into my heart.

I’m not certain the purpose of suffering is to comfort others. For me, at least, the purpose of suffering is to develop me spiritually, to point out my spiritual shortcomings as well as highlight my faith and trust in Him. It’s about Christ-likeness. My character. And it’s about increasing my faith in Him, really believing He’ll come through for me, and trusting in His essential goodness and love.

I wish I could say that I am calm inside, but I am not. Instead, I’m in turmoil … wavering. Yet I cry out to God for help … screaming into the wind, hearing nothing from Him. As weeks pass, however, I can see that He responded in ways I couldn’t notice.

 “Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses.”