E15 - Suffering - Not Me but Us - Part 3 of 3

Hope's Harbor Podcast - Gritty Bible Devotions

Suffering is an inevitable part of life. And it can be used for many purposes, including bringing glory to God and teaching us about His love through faithfulness. Yet it may also enable us to serve others who are in similar pain with more compassion than we could have otherwise.

My challenge is that you take a moment today to really think about all the ways your life has been touched by other people's trials or struggles so far; maybe someone close told you their story of hardship which encouraged you when things got rough, or perhaps there was somebody at work whose compassion helped you survive.

If you’re in pain now, hang on; endure it as best you can. And when it passes, look for ways to help others who are hurting, and by doing this, redeem the suffering you endured. God bless you -
Full show notes at Hopesharbor.net
Hope’s Harbor Gritty Bible Devotions

Episode #15

Title: Suffering - Not me but us – Part 3 of 3

Date: 7/12/2021

Contact: [e-mail]

Key verse(s): 2nd Cor. 1:3-8

Devotion focus:

- This episode’s focus: Serving others from our experience with pain -

I want to read through these verses in 2nd Corinthians and when I do, listen to the Word of GOD as He tells us about comfort, tribulation, trouble, suffering, and afflictions.

2Co 1:3 – “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,

2Co 1:4 – “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.

2Co 1:5 – “For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ.

2Co 1:6 – “Now if we are afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effective for enduring the same sufferings which we also suffer. Or if we are comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation.

2Co 1:7 – “And our hope for you is steadfast, because we know that as you are partakers of the sufferings, so also you will partake of the consolation.

2Co 1:8 – “For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Asia: that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life.”

Now, this passage is given to us so we may see this great truth: we are not alone in our suffering, nor are we to keep the lessons learned to ourselves.

In the following passage of Matthew 25:14-29, the word talents is a coin or a sum of money. The servants in the story were expected to use what they were given so that the owner, a type of the LORD, would receive a dividend, would gain from the wealth He entrusted to His servants for that purpose.

Suffering may be thought of as a type of ‘coin’ given to us as an investment. An investment the LORD will use if we allow it and not hoard the lessons learned or the ability given us to console others by what we gained from our experiences of pain and suffering.

Listen to the Word of GOD

Matt 25:14 - "For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them.

Matt 25:15 - And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey.

Matt 25:16 - Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents.

Full show notes at Hopesharbor.net

Show notes at HopesHarbor.net