2 Corinthians 1:3-11
 
Pastor Dave quoted scholar David Garland as saying, “The word comfort has gotten soft in theEnglish language.” Today, we often think of comfortas running away from suffering or affliction to some “safe space” or as running to self-indulgence in food, drink, shopping, or whatever might distract us from the suffering or affliction. In contrast, the Greek word translated comfort is paraklēsis, which means to come alongside, to admonish and encourage, to say, “You’ll make it through! Fight on.” Dave noted how different the passage sounds to our modern ears to read it substituting encourage and inspire for comfort.
 
Before the Lord, name the sufferings you are experiencing right now, whether physical, emotional, spiritual, relational, financial. Our afflictions differ from Paul’s in kind and in severity, but they are real and painful. Suffering is normal in our fallen world, especially for Christ followers.
 
Ask God for forgiveness. Lord, I think of all the times I’ve tried to run away from suffering or have looked for counterfeit comfort from the things of the world, and I am sorry. Forgive me!
 
Only God offers true comfort, but what form does it take? A primary way God comforts is through His word. Ask the Holy Spirit to bring to your mind specific truths from the Bible that encourage and inspire a sufferer to fight on. The first one I thought of is this: I can be sure that God sees and understands my suffering because Jesus, the second person of the triune God, suffered. Make a list!
 
In this week’s passage, Paul speaks of passing along comfort he received from God to the Corinthian believers. We can pass along God’s comfort too. With whom in your circle of influence does God want you to share the comfort He gives you? It is easy to rely on our own “wisdom” to decide when and how to do that. (That’s what Job’s friends did!) It is far better to ask for, and follow, God’s wisdom.
 
Calvary Family
 
Please pray for Carrie Tebay’s mother, Terrie Godfrey, who was diagnosed with late-stage ovarian cancer last week. She was taken directly from a CT scan into emergency surgery last week to remove her ovaries and a tumor that was blocking her small intestine. She is awaiting pathology reports and more testing to determine how far the cancer has metastasized. Pray for Terrie, her husband, and the whole family as they process this shockingly sudden, and serious, diagnosis. 
 
Fifteen couples are joining Dave and Carrie Tebay for a Family Equipping Fellowship conference next weekend, Friday through Sunday. Ask the Lord to use the teaching and discussion to transform parents’ thinking about leading their children according to God’s principles. Pray for stamina and energy for the Tebays and the participants in this first-ever weekend format for FEF. The Tebays normally teach this material as a 10-week course. Finally, ask the Lord to protect everyone involved from any barriers the enemy might erect, such as sickness, to keep people away.
 
Lift up Kathy Haberer, who is leaving Saturday for a two-week missions trip to Cuba. Kathy and three other retired teachers on the 12-person team will work with Cuban believers to hone their English skills so that they can serve as translators for future missions teams. The team will also be doing evangelistic outreach and visiting house churches. Kathy writes, “Please pray that we will boldly share God’s love with everyone we meet in Cuba, and that we would glorify God and encourage Cuban believers. We would also appreciate prayers for our physical and spiritual safety. I am so excited about this opportunity God has provided and am looking forward to seeing how God will use it to change lives.”

Our retired missionaries Dick and Saundra Watson have shared an urgent prayer request: For financial reasons, the Watsons need to sell a house in Texas that was their home years ago. When the current tenants’ lease expired last May and they received an eviction notice, they refused to move out and appealed the eviction. A judge ruled in their favor. The Watsons’ property manager started the eviction process again, and a court hearing is scheduled for this Thursday. Ask the Lord for His favor so the Watsons can proceed with the sale of the house.

In Christ,
Carol Gilbert
Calvary Community Church of Brea