Blessed be the God and Father of or Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

 It’s not uncommon these days to hear of people, especially Christians, who are suffering due to circumstances beyond their control. This leaves many, including myself, to ask why God allows such events to occur in the lives of those people who live for Christ.

 Today’s verses provide some comforting words to those who are seeking that very question, “why me”. While Jesus Christ walked the face of earth, He warned that we would have tribulation in this world (John 16:33). The difficulties and trials we face come in various forms from financial struggles, emotional turmoil, even the loss of a loved one. God uses these difficult times to do several things:

 1 Strengthen your faith and trust in Him. God promises to always be with us, even in times of great difficulty, sometimes of our own doing. Once you’ve accepted Christ into your life, God gives you His Holy Spirit, which resides in you. His Spirit prays on your behalf, as He knows exactly what you are going through and what you need to stay strong through it (Romans 8:26-27). As you suffer, you see the hand of God working in small ways to bring comfort: physically, emotionally, and spiritually, which in turn helps to strengthen your faith and trust that God has you in His loving arms.

 2 He uses your difficulty to help others. As you go through each occurrence, you build a history of wisdom and confidence in God’s ability to bring comfort in your brokenness. God will oftentimes place others who are going through a similar difficulty in the path of your life so you can nurture them through it, oftentimes using examples of how God worked in your situation. There is nothing more comforting to someone who is hurting than to have another person be encouraging to them whose gone down that same path.  

 If you are going through a tribulation, don’t push back against it, accept that it is in front of you and pray, asking God to open your mind to what He will do to build your faith and be available to help others in the same manner. As a child of God, you are part of a community of believers, working together through the challenges of life. God bless!