It would be very unusual for a person
to really want to suffer or to desire to be sick or hurt or heavy burdened. I would say it is unheard of, but I can only
say it is unheard of to me.
But I can say by experience, both in
the natural realm, and the supernatural, or spiritual realm, I do enjoy very
much the comforting that a loving person brings when I have been in an
infliction or infirmity.
God is love, and therefore, Jesus is
the Person of love. And love is
definitely the motivation of genuinely offered and given comforting, and
consolation.
We read in II Corinthians 1:5,6 “For as the sufferings of Christ abound in
us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ. And whether we be afflicted,
it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of
the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for
your consolation and salvation.”
Just as there is no need for the
Saviour, unless we are a sinner and in need of saving, and there is no need of
victory without a battle; likewise, there is no need of the Consoler without
some sort of suffering.
One of the positive things about
sufferings, is that we have entered into an area, where we are in great need of
the Person of love and consolation; to run to our sides[ which is what
the original word for consolation or comforter means]. And we have the promise
from the holy Word of God, that just as our suffering may be much, or great, so
will our consolation from the Lord.
Paul knew more of the experience of
suffering than most of us. So according
to our passage, he also knew more of the experience of the closeness of the
consolation power of the Lord Jesus Christ than most of us.
I would not be untrue to say then
that suffering is a type of opportunity.
Regardless of the reason for the
closeness of fellowship, those who spend
more time with the Lord Jesus Christ, know Him better than those who do not.
One of Job’s visiting friends, Eliphaz,
asked a question in Job 15: 11 “Are the
consolations of God small with thee?”
Regardless of what Eliphaz’s mindset
of motive for his question to Job; the answer is found in our text: and that is
they measure the same as to the degree or amount of our suffering.
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