2 Corinthians 1

Back to the NT - 2 Corinthians 1

Paul gives praise to  God, the Father.. "compassionate Father, God of all encouragement and comfort; who encourages (comforts) us in all our trials, so that we can encourage (comfort) others in whatever trials they may be undergoing with the encouragement (comfort) we ourselves received from God." 

This word "encouragement" or "comfort" comes from the Greek word parakaleo - "to call near, invite, exhort, invoke, pray, implore, console."  We recognize the word parakletos - which Jesus used for the Holy Spirit in John 16:7 "...  if I do not go away, the Helper ( the parakletos) shall not come to you but if I go I will send Him to you.. ".

So, we could say - our compassionate Father, who comes near to us- to encourage, comfort, console and help us.. who gives us His comfort - calling us near to Him in prayer, exhorting us through His Word, and filling us with His Spirit - helps us in our trials... that we might help others in theirs.  We  can come near to them, pray for them,  share the Word with them, and help them by the power of God's Spirit at work in us.

Paul goes on to do exactly this!  He and his team had gone through some great trials.  "The burden laid on us was so far beyond what we could bear.. In our hearts we felt we were under sentence of death."   They certainly needed the nearness and comfort and help from God - and He provided!
".. this was to get us to rely not on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead! He rescued us from such deadly peril and he will rescue us again! The one in whom we have placed our hope will indeed continue to rescue us."  

May we also be comforted, encouraged, and drawn near to our heavenly Father by daring to believe that this is Truth for us too!   We may feel we are "under sentence of death".. that the "burden" is too hard to bear; that these trials are too much.  We must not forget- indeed may we rejoice and give thanks -  that we have a God who never changes, a God of compassion, who never leaves us or forsakes us, and who will rescue us.. again and again!  May we encourage and comfort one another with these Truths!

Father in heaven,  praise to You, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who fulfills every promise in Him!  We rely on You, not ourselves, for every need in the trials of our lives.. for You are the God who raises the dead.  There is nothing that You cannot do!   Your mercy is.. "an infinite and inexhaustible energy within the divine nature which disposes [You] to be actively compassionate." (Tozer) -towards us! May we never forget, never forsake, and never turn away from Your great mercy, freely bestowed upon us in Jesus Christ our Lord. We put our hope in You alone!  Amen and amen!