EXPOSITION:
Let’s do a bit of retrospection here; Think of your life and some ‘bad’ days you have had. Can you think of what you will consider the ‘worst’ day of your life? Now think of the ‘best’ thing that has ever happened to you. Do you remember ever communicating these events to someone? How did you communicate it? Was it with passion? Have you encountered someone in a similar situation? Would your advice to such a person have been different if you had not been through a similar situation?
The Scripture reading for today takes us through a time of great trouble for Paul, such that he even despaired of life. However, in the end, he realizes that the Father of Compassion and the God of all comfort, comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. God sometimes allows us to go through certain fires and waters and delivers us so we can better identify compassionately with others in similar situations.
Jesus Christ, our perfect example, was not made a High Priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but is one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are–yet he did not sin (Hebrews 4:15). His temptations allowed him to grow in empathy towards you and I and was found many times interceding for his disciples and those to come. Never take any stage of your life for granted, whether pleasant or unpleasant, but gather the learnings and store them in your heart. You just might save someone from the road to destruction as a result.