Do Not Worry - Day 5: “A Merciful Father.” (YouVersion Devotional)
“In 2 Corinthians 1:3–5, the Bible says,
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ.”
Paul teaches that in the midst of his afflictions the Father of mercy was revealed to him. When we talk about the Father, the earthly paternal image comes to mind. But no matter what your dad was like, you need to understand that God, the Father, has different facets to relate to us. In difficulty, He is the Father of mercy. He presents Himself in various ways, but in distress, we need to know Him as a merciful Father.
God also comforts us through our difficulties. I do not know what your problem is, but I do know about the God of comfort. The comfort you need is in the Father of all consolation and mercy. Paul learned that afflictions were part of life and he was no stranger to them, although they were never the product of his irresponsibility. There are situations in life where our suffering is due to the effect of what we do and our irresponsibility. In the case of Paul, the afflictions that he narrates were the result of obeying a call in his life. He was not in control of his circumstances and could not change them.
The afflictions of life are not necessarily the result of something you did. Sometimes there are parents distressed because the children rebel and people believe that it is due to bad parenting. However, children grow up and make their own decisions. If your situation is out of your control, God, the Father of comfort, will produce peace in your heart. If you were the cause of your circumstances, correct your wrongdoing, and in the midst of it all, you will know the Father of mercy. God will not deliver you from all your situations, but He will always comfort you. We are not always freed immediately from the situation, but we do come out with our heads held high.”
