Within this section, Paul makes sure that the readers know that God is a God of love and peace, and the God of endurance and comfort. In the first four verses, Paul describes how sharing in Christ’s sufferings allows the believer to share abundantly in His comfort, too. The comfort that Paul has in mind is different than the emotional comfort that is often thought of today. The comfort that Paul describes has nothing to do with a feeling, or a lack of pain, but rather relates to encouragement, help and exhortation. The idea is that God’s spirit strengthens the weak believer, providing the ability to handle the troubles of life with an unbreakable will.

In your life, you will be tested. Hard times will cause you to struggle in your faith. When walking through these times, remember to trust in God as the God of all comfort. He truly does provide comfort when you are going through difficult times. He allows believers to have this comfort so that they can use it later to encourage other believers who are going through similar types of affliction.

How does God comfort you when you are facing internal or external distress?