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.
What is the best thing that has ever happened to you? Well, whom did you thank? The Bible tells us that every good gift and every perfect gift comes from above, from the Father of lights. The Bible tells us that God hath given us richly all things to enjoy. The Bible is clear that God is the source of everything good.
II Corinthians 1:2 says, “Grace be to you and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.” So, peace and grace come from God and from the Lord Jesus. Verse 3 says, “Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort.” Every mercy is born of God and given for those who need it. God is the “Father of mercies,” and He is the “God of all comfort.” In other words, God is the source.
Verse 5 says, “Consolation also aboundeth by Christ.” Everything good, mercy, grace, peace, and comfort, comes from God. God is the source of everything good. So how does God provide such things in your life or mine?
Let’s take money. Does God provide financially? Of course He does. So what happens? Does He rain money from Heaven? The truth is that God can provide in a number of ways and in any way in which He pleases. God has used a number of miraculous and extraordinary means to provide for people, but is that the way He usually provides? God usually provides through other people. God is the source of everything good, but you are the vessel.
For instance, verse 4 says, “[God] 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.” God comforts us so that we can comfort others. Others are comforted by God but through us.
II Corinthians 7:5 talks about how Paul had no rest, and was troubled on every side, “nevertheless God, that comforteth those that are cast down, comforted us by the coming of Titus; and not by his coming only, but by the consolation wherewith he was comforted in you.” God is the God of all comfort, but He comforted Paul through the believers at Corinth and through Titus. Paul’s point is that God is the One Who comforts, but, as often as not, God provides such things through people.
The key is to connect yourself to the provision of God, not just for yourself but for others. When God provides through you, He is also providing for you. If I am giving comfort to someone else, it is because God is providing it to and through me. Even the troubles we have help equip us to help others who are experiencing trouble. As God gives us grace, we are to be the vessels of God’s grace in the lives of others.