Comforted to Comfort: Finding Purpose in the Pain

/ Mikki Halbach / 1 Comment

– A Reflection on 2 Corinthians 1:3–11

Have you ever looked up at God and asked, “Why this? Why now? Why me?”

If you have, you’re not alone. Suffering and struggle are things every believer walks through, yet they often leave us feeling isolated or even confused about God’s presence and purpose.

In his book When Bad Things Happen to Good People, Rabbi Harold Kushner suggested that maybe God can’t do everything—maybe some suffering is just fate. While that theory attempts to explain pain, it ultimately leaves us hopeless.

Thankfully, Scripture offers something much more comforting—and far more powerful. In 2 Corinthians 1:3–11, the Apostle Paul gives us real answers. He doesn’t sugarcoat the pain of life, but he shows us how our suffering can become the very tool God uses to reveal His presence, build endurance, and connect us with others.

”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 tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ. Now if we are afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effective for enduring the same sufferings which we also suffer. Or if we are comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation. And our hope for you is steadfast, because we know that as you are partakers of the sufferings, so also you will partake of the consolation. For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Asia: that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life. Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead, who delivered us from so great a death, and does deliver us; in whom we trust that He will still deliver us, you also helping together in prayer for us, that thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf for the gift granted to us through many.”

Let’s walk through what Paul shares and discover seven reasons God might allow suffering in our lives.

#1- Suffering Helps Us Reflect on Christ’s Love to Share it with Others

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort…” (v. 3)

Before Paul explains anything else, he starts by praising God for who He is: the God of all comfort. That means no matter what kind of suffering we face—grief, stress, sickness, betrayal, fear—He has comfort for it. He doesn’t just see our pain; He enters it. He is compassionate, present, and faithful.

“…, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” (v. 4)

When God comforts us in hardship, it’s not just for our benefit—it equips us to extend that same comfort to someone else. Our pain has purpose. It becomes the bridge between their need and God’s love.

#2- Suffering Teaches Us Endurance

“…which is effective for enduring the same sufferings which we also suffer …” (v. 6)

Endurance isn’t something we’re born with—it’s built. And suffering is the weight room of the soul. Through pain, we learn to persevere in faith, to wait well, and to remain grounded even when life is stormy.

#3- Suffering Exposes Our Weakness

“…that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life.” (v. 8)

Even Paul—missionary, miracle-worker, writer of Scripture—hit a wall. He had nothing left. Why is that good news? Because weakness is the place where God’s strength begins. When we finally admit, “I can’t,” we hear God whisper, “I can.”

#4- Suffering Reveals Our Need for God

“…that we should not trust in ourselves…” (v. 9)

Suffering has a way of pulling the rug out from under our self-reliance. When life is easy, it’s tempting to think we’re in control. But hard seasons gently push us back into God’s arms, where real security and peace are found.

#5- Suffering Affirms the Power of God

“…but in God who raises the dead.” (v. 9)

God’s not just a comforter—He’s a resurrector. If He can raise the dead, He can breathe life into the driest, most hopeless places in your story. His power is not theoretical; it’s proven.

#6- Suffering Builds Our Trust in God

“who delivered us from so great a death, and does deliver us; in whom we trust that He will still deliver us …” (v. 10)

Looking back at God’s faithfulness helps us trust Him in the present. Paul isn’t guessing—he knows God will show up because He’s done it before. We all need those “marker moments” in our lives to look back on and say, “God met me there.”

#7- Suffering Ultimately Glorifies God

“you also helping together in prayer for us, that thanks may be given by many persons on]our behalf for the gift granted to us through many.” (v. 11)

When others see God carry you through something hard, their faith grows too. Your story—yes, even the messy parts—can lead someone else to praise God. What a beautiful gift.

Your Pain Has Purpose

Remember verse 3, Paul calls Him “the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort.” He is not just a comforting God—He is the source of comfort itself. He doesn’t offer empty words or temporary fixes. He meets us right where it hurts.

If you’re walking through something heavy right now, let me remind you: God sees you. He’s with you. And He’s using even this to draw you closer, make you stronger, and equip you to walk alongside others who will one day need the comfort you’re receiving now.

Your suffering is not meaningless. It’s a ministry in the making.

Father of mercies and God of all comfort, thank You that You meet us in our lowest moments. Thank You for comforting us not only for our own sake, but so we can turn around and extend that comfort to others. Teach us to rely on You when we feel weak, to trust You when we can’t see the way forward, and to glorify You with every step—even the painful ones. Use our stories to build up others and help us become people who walk with others in their pain, just as You walk with us.  In Jesus’ name,Amen.

Your Heart Sister,
Mikki 💜

Lessons From the Garden

/ Sandra Bivens Smith

He is like a tree planted by the waters that sends out its roots toward the stream. It does not fear when the heat comes, and its leaves are always green. It does not worry in a year of drought, nor does it cease to produce fruit. -Jeremiah 17:8

Full disclosure. I am not a gardener. As a matter of fact, I would be the first to admit that when it comes to plants of any kind, I have what could be called a “black thumb”. However, those who do know about such things will tell you that understanding root depth is crucial for successful cultivation.

According to the experts, deep-rooted plants have the ability to access water and nutrients from deeper soil layers, making them more drought-tolerant and resilient. Because they can penetrate deeply into the soil, they are also able to reach sources of water from deep underground. This allows plants with deep roots to sustain themselves and withstand a period of drought during hot climates. Deep roots also provide a stronger support system and are better anchored to withstand strong winds. Having deep roots provide the right stability, moisture, structure, and access to nutrients; resources which helps them survive a variety of conditions during tough conditions.

I am told that when you water a plant it is important to water deeply, otherwise in their search for water, the roots will grow toward the surface of the soil, making them weak and unable to withstand drought and other adverse conditions.

Are you seeing my point?

Our spiritual growth is much like a plant, the deeper our roots, the stronger our faith. So, how do we develop deep roots of faith?

We till the soil through prayer.

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. – John 15:16

We water the soil by studying God’s word.

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. –Psalm 1:1-3

We produce fruit by walking in the Spirit.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. -Galatians 5:22-23

We harvest the fruit by sharing the gospel.

After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go. And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore, pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. -Luke 10:1-2)

Just as a well-rooted plant withstands storms and drought, our faith flourishes when it is firmly rooted in Christ. Deep roots don’t grow by accident—they’re cultivated through intentional time in prayer, consistent study of God’s Word, a Spirit-led life, and a willingness to share the hope we’ve found. The deeper our roots, the stronger our witness and the steadier our hearts, no matter what comes our way. So dig deep, stay grounded, and trust God to bring fruit in every season.  

Grace and Peace,

Sandra

“Finding Peace in Letting Go: Trusting God’s Plan”

/ Mikki Halbach

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and 
supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made 
known to God” – Philippians 4:6

I remember studying Philippians years ago, in an Aglow Bible study group, and hearing the leader telling me I should stop worrying. My kids were still pretty young at the time, and I thought, “Anything? Like nothing? Really, God?Impossible!!”

It’s not that I doubted God or didn’t trust what He was saying to me in His word. It was just that with 4 kids, endless sports and activities, a house full of things to do,and church and ministry commitments, I couldn’t help thinking “but I have so much to worry about!”

I know I probably wasn’t alone here. If you’re human, you worry. It’s almost like we can’t help ourselves. We worry about money, our kids, our aging parents, our jobs, our futures, our health, the list could go on and on. Life demands so much from us and as much as we try our best to keep up, it often feels like more than we can handle. So,what do we do? We worry!

But Philippians 4:6 commands us to NOT do exactly that. Yes, it literally tells us, “don’t worry.”

In Matthew 6:25-34, the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells us “Don’t worry” five times in these 10 verses. If Jesus tells us to do something once, of course we recognize it’s important, but FIVE TIMES, we better be paying attention.

But why would Jesus tell us not to worry? Should we not care about all these critical areas of our lives? Our kids, our homes, our marriages, our jobs? Yes, we should care and do our very best to handle those situations and relationships exactly as the Lord wants us to.

Worrying means we think we are the only one that can handle a situation, that we are the only one in control. As much as we hate to admit it, we must understand, we are not the one in control. This is actually great news. There is so much peace in knowing that the outcome of our lives is not entirely reliant on us and our decisions. God is the one who is truly in control. 

One of my life verses for the past year has been 1 Peter 5:6-7 “Humble yourself under the mighty hand of God that He may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety upon Him because he cares for you”. I have come to realize that more often than not, my worries and anxieties come from my need to control, and my need to control comes from pride.

Thinking we can control anything, tends to show itself in 3 areas:

We want to control others. Yet that is not what God has called us to do. We can influence, instruct, encourage, guide – but we cannot control. People must answer to God for themselves. In Acts 20:30, the Apostle Paul had done all he could for the believers at Ephesus when he finally said, “And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified”. When we are tempted to try to control others, we must put them in God’s hand and remove our own.

We want to control our circumstances. Only God can do that. No amount of manipulation or effort can make right all the wrongs in this world. In Genesis 27, Jacob’s pride caused him to scheme and connive instead of leaning on God. In Genesis 32 Jacob’s anxiety (or worry) was taking over as a result of his earlier scheming. If we try to control our circumstances as Jacob did, we will, as Jacob did, bring consequences that only increase the anxiety and worry we try to avoid in the first place.

Control issues are spiritual issues. The real issue is: Will I trust God?

We want to control our lives. But the Lord tells us that we must yield, not control. We are not able in our own power to do what is right, but under the control of the Holy Spirit we can. (Romans 6:13) When we are tempted to take control, we must stop and commit our needs to God, who alone has the wisdom and power, to rule the good and overrule the evil. 

If you’re anything like me, giving up control is easier said than done. So, what is the solution? Here are some ways that can help us fully trust God instead of worrying ourselves to death.

#1. Acknowledge

Admitting we have a problem is the very first step. Recognizing our pride, and understanding that thinking we can control that which we cannot, is really just making ourselves an idol. Acknowledging the problem is the foundation for getting free from our worry and need to control.

“Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is 
the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” – Proverbs 19:21

#2. Surrender

Once we’ve acknowledged we are not in control, we can surrender the circumstances to God. He already knows we are not going to win on our own and is just waiting for us to raise the white flag.

The start of surrender is doing exactly what Philippians 4:6 tells us to do; fall to our knees and pray. Tell God why we are worrying and what it is that we need, then thank Him for all the times He took care of a situation in a way that we could have never done on our own. 

I have countless examples of times God has stepped in and resolved a situation in miraculous ways as well as examples of times when I didn’t allow God to step in and my own plans ended in disaster. I also have examples of times in my life when God did not answer exactly as I prayed but had something better in store for me. I must trust that His ways are so much higher than mine, so even in those situations, I can fully trust Him.

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways 
my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” – Isaiah 55:8-9

#3. Rest

We must understand what rest means. Rest looks different for everyone. Mirriam Webster defines rest this way; cease work or movement in order to relax, refresh oneself, or recover strength.

The idea of rest used to be a real struggle for me because I thought rest meant going to bed earlier or doing nothing other than sitting around watching TV. The truth is, neither of those things give me true rest. For some, rest may mean gardening, journaling, napping, or cooking. I have come to learn that reading a book, hanging out by the pool, or as an extrovert, spending time among lots of friends, is what gives me rest. Rest is you doing what spiritually, mentally, and physically refreshes you.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I 
will give you rest”. – Matthew 11:28

#4. Ownership

If you’ve given your life to God, your life is no longer your own. The Bible makes this clear in Jeremiah 10;23, O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself; It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps”. When we remember that we belong to Him, it’s easier to surrender, to submit to Him. If we’ve devoted ourselves to God, we need to then be Spirit led. God owns us. We are His creation. If we can gain this higher perspective, we can overcome our control issues. As a result, we will live a more joyful, free, and victorious life. 

I am a visual person, and I recently ran across a practical method for this step. Make a list, not the typical “to do” list, this list is a bit different. Whenever facing any situation that is causing you worry or anxiety or when you are tempted to take total control, take a sheet of paper and draw a line straight down the middle. On one side write “What I Can Control”, on the other side, write “What Only God Can Control”.

“A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs 
his steps.” – Proverbs 16:9

Some things are our responsibility, we can’t just be idle and expect God be a puppet master. We must prayerfully ask God to give us discernment, to show us what belongs on our list and what should only belong to God AND we must be 100% OK with that.

Philippians 4:6 is followed by verse 7 which says, “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” That peace, that surpasses all understanding, can only come from Christ. We can’t find it on our own, it ultimately comes from giving up control and worry and recognizing that no matter what we face here in this life, it is preparing us for that which comes next. 

Therefore, we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are 
wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 
For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an 
eternal glory that outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on 
what is seen, but on what is unseen.  For what is seen is 
temporary, but what is unseen is eternal –2 Corinthians 4:16-18

Heavenly Father, I pray that you will give us peace in our hearts and the wisdom to go straight to you in our times of worry, anxiety, and fear. Help us to know, deep down in our hearts, that you are the one in control and you want the very best for us. Show us daily what is ours to do and what we must leave to you. Remind us that your plans are perfect, and are not for our temporal pleasures, but for your eternal glory. We love and trust you Lord. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Your Heart Sister,

Mikki 💜

Is It Easter or Resurrection Sunday?

/ Kathy Dempsey / 1 Comment

The new dress, white patent leather shoes, and a bonnet.  Going to church one day a year then running home to find baskets filled with candy and a hollow chocolate candy rabbit.  Egg hunts for dyed boiled eggs that were all colored the night before and then hid outside (or many times inside due to an Easter snowstorm).  That is what I believed Easter to be in my childhood and young adulthood.  

Why, I wonder, was that the popular way many people chose to celebrate the day that our Savior took all our sins to the cross and rose on the third day so that we may have salvation through Him?  Why would we celebrate such an important day with colored eggs and rabbits instead of honoring and celebrating the One that made freedom and eternal life possible for us.  

 “so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many.  To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.” Romans 9:28  

Resurrection Sunday (Easter Sunday) celebrates the risen Christ.  Christ, crucified and buried in a tomb.  On the third day Mary Magdalene and Mary, the mother of James, went to His tomb. When they arrived an angel of the Lord had rolled back the stone that covered the entrance to the tomb.  Sitting on the stone the angel of the Lord told them “He is not here; for He is risen, as He said” Matthew 28:6.  

So, how did we adopt a “tradition” and choose this for the teaching of children instead of simply teaching from proven scripture that explains every aspect of this life and the way to eternal salvation?  There are many “theories” and much conflicting data out there about how the rabbit and eggs became associated with Easter, none of which really matter, only God’s truth matters.   

I wish I would have had more Bible and less bunnies in my growing up years. Then my heart would have been opened and I could have enjoyed more time in the freedom I have knowing I am a child of God and that I will see Christ one day.  

I am so thankful for my Christ Who saved me through His suffering. I am thankful for Resurrection Sunday!