In Day 5 of “Feeding Your Hunger” you were introduced to the idea that bad things can eventually become good things. You were also introduced to 2 Corinthians 1:3-5 which can show how this might work. So, using the three prayers from Day 4, let’s go even deeper into 2 Corinthians 1:3-5. Read the passage and then use the prayers and prompts below to learn more about feeding your spiritual hunger through redemption.
2 Corinthians 1:3-5
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. 5 For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. 6 If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. 7 And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort. (NIV)
God, Show Me! (Observation: What is this passage saying?)
How is God described in this passage?
What does God do?
What do you learn about “us”? (And by “us,” this means you!)?
God, Teach Me! (Interpretation: What does this passage mean?)
Two key words in this passage: “all” and “any.” Think about God being the God of ALL comfort. What forms can God’s comfort take? What forms have you experienced?
Now think about the phrase “ANY trouble.” The word “any” is very inclusive. Make a list of any type of trouble, big or little, that you are experiencing now or any type of trouble that your close family or friends are experiencing.
Think creatively about how God might comfort any trouble that you, your friends, or your family might be experiencing. In fact, make a list.
What traits of God might you experience in the comfort He provides?
How might you comfort others through these traits of God that you have experienced?
God, Change Me! (Application: What do I need to do?)
Process this thought for a moment…the trouble you have experienced opened two doors:
1. A door for you to receive comfort from God.
2. A door for you to comfort others through the same comfort you received from God.
These are doors that may not have been otherwise opened. Granted, we might feel that we’d rather not have the bad situation that led to the doors. But since we have these doors, we might as well step through them. And this is a first step toward redemption—a tiny example of how something bad can lead to good—a good that you may not have otherwise experienced. This is especially helpful given that the 2 Corinthians passage above makes it very clear that we will have trouble. Not “might,” but will. Now, you can look for two doors when you do.