March 3rd, 2025
Comfort and Affliction
by Chassidy Rogers

"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 those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.” (2 Corinthians 1:3-5)
It’s an interesting way to start a letter, and yet this is essentially how Paul begins his second letter to the church at Corinth. After a brief, three verse greeting, Paul launches into a prayer of thanksgiving and worship to God that focuses on the theme of comfort in the midst of affliction.
Paul isn’t the only biblical author to address this idea, and it’s certainly not unique to the New Testament. We read of it over and over in Psalms (34:19, 119:50, 119:67, 119:71, and 119:92 among others) and Isaiah (48, 53). We see it in the stories of barrenness and slavery, exile and idolatry. God’s people are a suffering people. An afflicted people.
Sometimes it’s self-inflicted- a consequence of sin. At other times it’s a result of life in a fallen, broken world.
How can we tell? How should we respond?
I recommend reading Tony Reinke’s thoughtful article on suffering, affliction, and a right response. Find it here:
https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/sin-cause-suffering/
These articles follow our church-wide reading plan. To read with us, click here.
It’s an interesting way to start a letter, and yet this is essentially how Paul begins his second letter to the church at Corinth. After a brief, three verse greeting, Paul launches into a prayer of thanksgiving and worship to God that focuses on the theme of comfort in the midst of affliction.
Paul isn’t the only biblical author to address this idea, and it’s certainly not unique to the New Testament. We read of it over and over in Psalms (34:19, 119:50, 119:67, 119:71, and 119:92 among others) and Isaiah (48, 53). We see it in the stories of barrenness and slavery, exile and idolatry. God’s people are a suffering people. An afflicted people.
Sometimes it’s self-inflicted- a consequence of sin. At other times it’s a result of life in a fallen, broken world.
How can we tell? How should we respond?
I recommend reading Tony Reinke’s thoughtful article on suffering, affliction, and a right response. Find it here:
https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/sin-cause-suffering/
These articles follow our church-wide reading plan. To read with us, click here.

More from the blog:
Blessed Are the Longing
May 26th, 2025
I often find gaps in what I long for versus the situations actually dealt to me.My human heart frequently struggles to see disappointment, pain, or scarcity as blessings given by God for my good and His glory. Psalm 84 has been a balm to my soul during adulthood for every season but even more during the ‘not so blessed’ ones. The Psalmist longs to be able to go to the temple of the Lord, even ack...
Stay Ready
May 20th, 2025
One morning, the principal at the school where I teach received a text from a principal at a nearby school: the superintendent was in the area. Fearing a surprise visit, the administration quickly scrambled to get everything in order and make the school presentable for the guest of honor. Teachers were instructed to ensure students stayed off their phones and were actively engaged in collaborative...
Bearing False Witness is More Than We Think
May 13th, 2025
God is holy and he desires that his chosen race, his priesthood, his nation, and his people be holy too. This is the point of the book of Leviticus–“You shall be holy for I am holy” (Leviticus 11:44). God wants his people to be holy because God’s people are a revelatory people, meaning they exist to reveal God not only to each other as the people of God, but also to the people without God in the w...
Recent
Archive
2025
February
March
April
2024
March
April
September
October
2023
April
May
July
August
October
November
2022
2021
No Comments