1 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:03,480 Speaker 1: Life Audio. 2 00:00:10,800 --> 00:00:13,760 Speaker 2: Welcome to the Crossbock devotional. We're glad to have you 3 00:00:13,800 --> 00:00:18,119 Speaker 2: listening with us. Today's topic is comforting other people in 4 00:00:18,200 --> 00:00:21,280 Speaker 2: pain with the comfort you've received from God in your 5 00:00:21,280 --> 00:00:24,600 Speaker 2: own pain. We'll return to the devotional after a brief 6 00:00:24,680 --> 00:00:41,559 Speaker 2: message from our sponsors past God's Comfort Along written and 7 00:00:41,640 --> 00:00:45,239 Speaker 2: read by Whitney Hoppler. Praise be to the God and 8 00:00:45,360 --> 00:00:48,960 Speaker 2: Father of our Lord, Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion 9 00:00:49,080 --> 00:00:52,120 Speaker 2: and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in 10 00:00:52,200 --> 00:00:55,040 Speaker 2: all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in 11 00:00:55,120 --> 00:00:58,680 Speaker 2: any trouble with the comfort we ourselves received from God. 12 00:00:59,320 --> 00:01:04,120 Speaker 2: Second Koreans one three through four and IV. Ever since 13 00:01:04,120 --> 00:01:07,240 Speaker 2: my husband had a kidney transplant years ago, I've been 14 00:01:07,280 --> 00:01:10,440 Speaker 2: grateful to God and to the wonderful man who donated 15 00:01:10,480 --> 00:01:14,039 Speaker 2: the life saving kidney. But the tremendous blessing of a 16 00:01:14,080 --> 00:01:19,360 Speaker 2: successful transplant comes with a downside. Lots of medications to 17 00:01:19,440 --> 00:01:23,440 Speaker 2: prevent organ rejection, and each of those medications can have 18 00:01:23,560 --> 00:01:27,559 Speaker 2: serious side effects. Over the years, the stress of dealing 19 00:01:27,560 --> 00:01:30,600 Speaker 2: with chronic illness has been hard on our marriage because 20 00:01:30,600 --> 00:01:34,959 Speaker 2: the stress of health concerns never ends. But I discovered 21 00:01:35,240 --> 00:01:37,560 Speaker 2: that the more I turned to God for comfort when 22 00:01:37,600 --> 00:01:41,400 Speaker 2: dealing with this stressful situation, the more I receive comfort 23 00:01:41,440 --> 00:01:44,560 Speaker 2: from God that I can then pass along to other 24 00:01:44,600 --> 00:01:48,680 Speaker 2: people who are dealing with chronic illness in their own marriages. 25 00:01:49,840 --> 00:01:52,480 Speaker 2: God even seems to arrange for me to meet people 26 00:01:52,560 --> 00:01:55,960 Speaker 2: like that sometimes to create opportunities for us to talk 27 00:01:56,000 --> 00:01:59,720 Speaker 2: and encourage each other. I don't enjoy dealing with an 28 00:01:59,760 --> 00:02:02,920 Speaker 2: un endem sickness in my marriage, but I have to 29 00:02:02,960 --> 00:02:06,680 Speaker 2: admit that doing so has made me a more compassionate person, 30 00:02:07,640 --> 00:02:11,720 Speaker 2: someone who tries to comfort others whenever I can. What 31 00:02:11,840 --> 00:02:15,160 Speaker 2: kind of suffering are you going through right now? Whatever 32 00:02:15,200 --> 00:02:17,680 Speaker 2: it is, you can rely on God to comfort you. 33 00:02:19,040 --> 00:02:22,880 Speaker 2: In Second Corinthians one three through four, the Bible describes 34 00:02:22,960 --> 00:02:25,320 Speaker 2: God as the Father of compassion and the God of 35 00:02:25,360 --> 00:02:29,360 Speaker 2: all comfort. Comfort is a central part of God's character. 36 00:02:30,280 --> 00:02:34,560 Speaker 2: When you're discouraged, stressed, or exhausted, God cares, and he 37 00:02:34,639 --> 00:02:38,480 Speaker 2: makes it a priority to comfort you. But these verses 38 00:02:38,520 --> 00:02:42,200 Speaker 2: don't stop there. They reveal that God comforts you so 39 00:02:42,320 --> 00:02:45,840 Speaker 2: you can comfort others. What you receive from God is 40 00:02:45,919 --> 00:02:49,440 Speaker 2: meant to bless others after it blesses you, as part 41 00:02:49,480 --> 00:02:53,079 Speaker 2: of the powerful process of God's love flowing through your 42 00:02:53,160 --> 00:02:58,120 Speaker 2: life into other people's lives. That can be challenging, especially 43 00:02:58,120 --> 00:03:01,320 Speaker 2: when you're still in pain. You may be tempted just 44 00:03:01,360 --> 00:03:04,760 Speaker 2: to hold on to comfort once God gives it to you. 45 00:03:05,360 --> 00:03:10,400 Speaker 2: That's understandable. Healing takes time, but God gently invites you 46 00:03:10,480 --> 00:03:14,440 Speaker 2: to see that your own experiences, especially the painful ones, 47 00:03:15,000 --> 00:03:18,119 Speaker 2: can help others deal with the pain in their own lives. 48 00:03:19,040 --> 00:03:21,639 Speaker 2: Think about the last time you were comforted by someone 49 00:03:21,639 --> 00:03:24,240 Speaker 2: else who had gone through a challenge that was similar 50 00:03:24,280 --> 00:03:27,720 Speaker 2: to one you went through. That person knew what you 51 00:03:27,760 --> 00:03:32,320 Speaker 2: were pain felt like, so he or she probably blessed 52 00:03:32,320 --> 00:03:37,000 Speaker 2: you powerfully with understanding and encouragement. Just as you're grateful 53 00:03:37,000 --> 00:03:40,160 Speaker 2: for the comfort that person shared with you, you can be 54 00:03:40,240 --> 00:03:43,080 Speaker 2: the reason why someone else who's hurting is grateful in 55 00:03:43,120 --> 00:03:48,360 Speaker 2: the future. God never wastes your pain well. God never 56 00:03:48,480 --> 00:03:52,560 Speaker 2: causes your pain, He does redeem it. The comfort you 57 00:03:52,680 --> 00:03:57,160 Speaker 2: received during hard times teaches you empathy. When you allow 58 00:03:57,200 --> 00:04:00,760 Speaker 2: God to work through those places, your story becomes a 59 00:04:00,800 --> 00:04:05,560 Speaker 2: source of encouragement for someone else. When you pass God's 60 00:04:05,560 --> 00:04:09,240 Speaker 2: comfort along yourself, you won't have all the answers or 61 00:04:09,280 --> 00:04:12,640 Speaker 2: be able to say something perfectly wise. But if you 62 00:04:12,840 --> 00:04:17,200 Speaker 2: just show up without judgment, listen well, and encourage people 63 00:04:17,240 --> 00:04:20,960 Speaker 2: by telling them how God comforted you in similar circumstances. 64 00:04:21,680 --> 00:04:24,880 Speaker 2: God will work through you to do the rest. In 65 00:04:24,960 --> 00:04:28,400 Speaker 2: the process, the people you share God's comfort with will 66 00:04:28,400 --> 00:04:32,640 Speaker 2: find the fresh hope they need. This is especially important 67 00:04:32,640 --> 00:04:35,520 Speaker 2: to remember if you feel like your struggles disqualify you 68 00:04:35,560 --> 00:04:41,279 Speaker 2: from helping others, they don't. Often they're actually what qualify you. 69 00:04:42,160 --> 00:04:44,960 Speaker 2: God's comfort doesn't just patch you up and sends you 70 00:04:45,040 --> 00:04:48,440 Speaker 2: on your way. It transforms you into a more compassionate 71 00:04:48,520 --> 00:04:52,320 Speaker 2: person who God can work through to shine light into 72 00:04:52,360 --> 00:04:56,640 Speaker 2: the darkness of this fallen world. So when you receive 73 00:04:56,720 --> 00:05:00,640 Speaker 2: comfort from God, don't rush past it. Let it sink 74 00:05:00,720 --> 00:05:04,760 Speaker 2: into your soul. Then, when the time is right, let 75 00:05:04,800 --> 00:05:07,080 Speaker 2: it flow out to others who need to know that 76 00:05:07,120 --> 00:05:09,560 Speaker 2: God is with them and will help them in their 77 00:05:09,560 --> 00:05:15,000 Speaker 2: own suffering. Intersecting faith in life, how did God comfort 78 00:05:15,040 --> 00:05:18,720 Speaker 2: you doing a hard challenge you went through recently? Do 79 00:05:18,800 --> 00:05:21,640 Speaker 2: you know anyone right now who's suffering while dealing with 80 00:05:21,680 --> 00:05:25,400 Speaker 2: a similar challenge? If so, how can you plan to 81 00:05:25,440 --> 00:05:28,440 Speaker 2: reach out to comfort that person with what you've learned 82 00:05:28,440 --> 00:05:32,800 Speaker 2: from God and when He comforted you? What's one simple 83 00:05:32,839 --> 00:05:35,880 Speaker 2: way you can share God's comfort this week with anyone 84 00:05:35,920 --> 00:05:40,000 Speaker 2: you know who is dealing with any kind of papal challenge. 85 00:05:41,120 --> 00:05:43,960 Speaker 2: How does viewing your struggle as a qualification to help 86 00:05:44,040 --> 00:05:51,320 Speaker 2: others change your attitude towards your pain? Further reading Galatians six, two, 87 00:05:51,800 --> 00:05:58,080 Speaker 2: Romans twelve fifteen, Matthew five four, Psalm thirty four eighteen, 88 00:05:58,920 --> 00:06:01,480 Speaker 2: First Thessalonians five eleven. 89 00:06:06,120 --> 00:06:09,120 Speaker 1: Thanks for listening to today's devotional. 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