A View From The Sycamore Tree: Comforting Others as He Has Comforted Us

Friday, March 5, 2010

Comforting Others as He Has Comforted Us - 2 Corinthians 1

"Blessed be the God and Father of our

Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies

and God of all comfort;who comforts us

in all our affliction so that we may be able

to comfort thosewho are in any affliction

with the comfort with which we ourselves

are comforted by God.

For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours

in abundance, so also our comfort is

abundant through Christ."

(2 Corinthians 1:3-5)

Have you ever had one of those moments when you have poured your heart out to someone regarding your suffering only to have them respond with a head nod that clearly signifies that they haven't a clue where you're coming from? They just don't get it. They don't understand. Clearly you are not on the same page and try as they might they just can't get on the same page.

Here's another scenario. Have you ever found yourself in a conversation about your afflictions with someone who HAS been there? Perhaps your trials have not been identical but you have both faced trials. Suddenly you find yourself with someone who can empathize and if that empathy is coupled with hope - hope in the Sovereign Christ who has wisely sent the storm for good purposes - then you have found a friend who can truly comfort you.

That second scenario is exactly what Paul is speaking of here in 2 Corinthians 1. Trials come and they come with purpose. They come that we might know and taste the mercy and comfort of the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Without a scraped knee we would never know the tenderness of a healing kiss, a secure hug, a safe lap, or a reassuring look. God comforts us when we ache. God is as strong as an omnipotent Father but He is also as tender and gracious and loving and kind as a faithful mother!

He "comforts us in all of our afflictions SO THAT we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God." Please note the "so that" found in the middle of verse 4. We are not comforted solely for ourselves. Life does not revolove around us - as much as we might wish that it did. Things are not ulitmately about us but about Him and His kingdom and His glory. Here in 2 Corinthians 1 we see that the God who loves us so dearly comforts us SO THAT we can return the favor, share the blessing, and give as we have been given.

My friends - those of you who have tasted of sorrow and affliction, those of you who may be drinking of it even now - are you hoarding the comforts of Christ that have been given to you or are you looking for ways to help, encourage, and strengthen others?

"The sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ." In this world, sorrow and sadness, peril and pain, afflictions and anxiety abound - but His grace and mercy and peace and comfort over abound.

Let the comfort of Christ overflow from the cup of suffering and share the cup of His merciful refreshment with others. Your suffering is with purpose. Your comfort is with purpose. Purpose to comfort as you have been comforted.

In His glorious grace,

Lori

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Here We Go!

This is a blog about the goodness and grace of God, even amidst the angst of autism.

So ... how did this whole thing start?

Well, I said I'd never do this but obviously here I am. After being challenged, encouraged, goaded and double dog dared, several years ago I began to blog.

Near the end of 2008, I found myself with renewed passion for God's Word, Kingdom, and people and I was stirred, through nothing other than the simple means of grace, to a hunger and thirsting for righteousness unlike any other time in my 20+ years as a Christian.

During that period, I began typing out the things that were striking me the most in my quiet time each morning. Honestly, I started because I wanted to have a written record that I could pass along to my children one day - lettered Ebenezers reminding them of how much their Mom loves God and His Word.

While doing that I found myself so excited on certain days that I began to email my musings to some of my girl friends, hoping to encourage them even as Christ was encouraging me. Many of those gals challenged me to put these things online in a blog form so others could have access to them. That's how this site started.

Now, to shoot really straight with you, that personal "revival" of mine has pendumatically ebbed and flowed over the course of the days, months and years since 2008. For a prolonged period after that initial renewing surge I actually found myself in an utterly antithetical place. God, in His wisdom, was pleased to grant me a substantial season in the dark dungeon of "doubting castle" - those days were some of the hardest of my life post-Jesus but were providentially ordained days ultimately used for my good and for my God's glory.

"Through many dangers, toils, and snares I have already come" by nothing but the amazing grace of an amazing God.

I've learned that even in the midst of the darkest of days there's just something about the light of God's Word that is powerful. The Scripture has been an anchor for me in the storm surge of life. Even when my eyes have seemed to be rather veiled and my vision somewhat dimmed, there has still been a re-focusing force that has risen when I have gazed long and hard upon the Word of God. Thus, even as a saint who struggles, I continue to write of my God, my Redeemer, His promises, and His truth.

I'm not always very regular at posting here because there are many more important duties in my life right now than blog uploads - ie. being wife, mom, housekeeper, cook, taxi service, chief bottle washer, and laundry lady - along with that music thing I do as a side gig! But, as time allows I'll be cutting and pasting from Joshua and Elizabeth's future journal gift and sharing some of it with you as well.

Thanks for stopping by!

Who's Doing This?

Lori Sealy is daily amazed at the grace of God in her life. Adopted as an infant and raised in an evangelical church, she rebelled against the things of Christ during high school and considered herself an atheist. Upon entering college, the God who ordains our steps ordained that her path would cross with several students who loved Christ and loved His Word. During that first year of college, she set out to destroy the faith of these young Christians. They set out to pray for her salvation.

Knowing that "faith comes through hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ," six college students daily confronted her sin and challenged her with the truths of God's glorious Word. Their obedience in proclaiming the good news of the gospel of Christ bore fruit in August of 1988 when by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, she was adopted for the second time in her life - this time into the family of God.

Lori is now the wife of Phillip Sealy. They live in Sylva, North Carolina where Phillip has been called to plant a new church for the Presbyterian Church of America (PCA) - Redeemer Church Sylva. The Sealys have two children Joshua (14) and Elizabeth (12). Lori and Joshua both live with autism.

In her spare time (what little there is) Lori masquerades as a part-time songwriter/singer and performs on a limited monthly basis. Lori's newest CD, "The Strife is Over," has recently released. Hard copies of it, along with her last release "Begone Unbelief", are available through CD Baby and Lori's own website. Digital downloads are available through iTunes, Google Play, and Amazon mp3!

Be sure to visit http://www.lorisealy.com/ to learn more!

Why the Sycamore Tree?

Zaccheus, the wee little man, wanted to see Jesus and so he climbed into the sycamore tree in order to get a good look. Lori, the wee little wife and mom, longs to see Jesus as well. I realize that the place where I will catch a true glimpse of Him is in the pages of His Word.

The Bible is my sycamore tree and I find myself longing more and more to climb up into its branches that I might see Christ more clearly. This blog is simply a record of what God is teaching me as I spend time in "the tree" of His glorious Word. If anyone reads it I'll be amazed; if anyone profits from it I'll be humbled; and if anything good is found in it Soli Deo Gloria!