Daily devotional, January 19, 2024 The Fishbone
"For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too."
2 Corinthians 1:5
One of the superstitious beliefs I grew up hearing is that a breech-born person can dislodge a fishbone stuck in the throat by massaging it. My dad is breech-born and so guess what? We always go to him whenever we have a “tinik in the lalamunan.” And I don’t know if that was just my imagination, or sheer luck, but I felt like the fishbone is dislodged each time.
Maybe it was the comfort of my Dad’s touch that somehow helped eliminate the discomfort brought about by the fishbone. Anyway, breech-born or not, my dad has always been my go-to person for comfort when I am in pain, when I feel ill. And with his loving gesture and gentle voice that assures me it will all be better soon, I indeed feel so much better no matter the pain.
And so when I lost my dad, I felt so alone and was scared to go through emotional and physical pain. Gone is my comforter. Gone is that one person I run to when I am both scared and scarred. But as my relationship with Jesus grew more intimately, I discovered that there is a comfort that is far beyond the best that I have experienced in my life.
"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."
2 Corinthians 1:3-4
When you are living in God’s presence, day by day you are enveloped in an unexplainable comfort that protects your heart from the weariness of both small and big challenges. A comfort that wraps you in peace, and fills all the void in your heart with contentment that brings joy in your life. Problems may still exist, but in your heart, grace abounds.
In his letter to the Philippians, St. Paul the Apostle encourages the believers to not worry and instead trust that the Lord will listen to them:
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
Philippians 4:6-7
That unfathomable peace is what true believers get as they entrust their lives to the Greatest Comforter of all. As we grow in faith and obedience, we will get to know God’s promises and treasure them in our hearts. We will remember each personal instance of faithfulness He has shown throughout our lives. We will know that he sees everything, listens to everything, and even holds our tears in his bottle. Treasuring these truths in our hearts will help us get through the inevitable trials we would have to endure in our lifetime.
And this is the exact same promise Jesus Christ said to His apostles to assure them that they are never alone in their faith walk:
"And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you."
John 14:16-17
Thank you for reading through our devotional today. I invite you to ponder on 2 Corinthians 1:3-7 to dig deeper on today’s topic.
Reflection Question: Do you feel God’s comfort in your life?
Conversation with the Lord: Heavenly Father, thank you for being our greatest comforter. Knowing that you are always with us allays our worries and fears, and give us hope that all things will work out for our good. Amen.