II Corinthians 1:3 “Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; 4 Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.”
One of the greatest joys that a Child of God can experience is helping others in their times of trouble. In this case, we gain great experience as the Lord “comforteth us in all our tribulation”; then, we rejoice when we are blessed to share that experience with others who are in the midst of some great “tribulation” or trouble. Paul gives us an example of how this works later in this Chapter (II Corinthians 1:8-10); he tells us about the “trouble” they had in “Asia”. This is one of a Preacher’s principal duties; he uses the same Word of God that is of such great “comfort” to him to share with others so that they may also be comforted. Our Lord tells us that “In the world ye shall have tribulation” (John 16:33), so we should not be surprised when bad and miserable things happen to us. When we are in the midst of some great “tribulation” our minds tend to freeze on the pain and anguish of our present situation. But, when some friend comes by and shares their experience and reminds us that the Lord also said, “but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33), our hope is revived, and we are comforted. So, let us remember that fellowship is a key part of our Christian life; for, as fellows, in times of trouble, we rush to one another’s side to show our love and share words of encouragement. This is one reason we Primitive Baptists like to have lunch together after services, we rejoice and are greatly encouraged in our times of fellowship; it is most pleasing to see brethren and sisters sitting together and lovingly sharing with one another!