Comfort in Affliction (10-31-10)

2 Corinthians 1:3-7 - "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 will be able to comfort those who 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. But if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; or if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which is effective in the patient enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer; and our hope for you is firmly grounded, knowing that as you are sharers of our sufferings, so also you are sharers of our comfort."

I've been reading through Second Corinthians a lot lately and something that has stood out to me is this idea of God as the God of all comfort. Comfort in affliction seems to be a common theme throughout this book.
Like I've mentioned before in talking about Daniel and also about Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego, God is a God of deliverance. He is certainly able, as we've seen, to deliver His servants from any situation, and we're even told in 2 Corinthians 1:9 that "He will yet deliver us." So deliverance is ultimately His plan for us, but not always His immediate response to our situations. God allows us to go through trials because that's how we grow. But in the midst of our afflictions we can have peace and joy because just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ, the God of all comfort. And as always, when we know that something is true about God there is a correct response we need to have. Because Jesus Christ is the God of all comfort who comforts us in our affliction, the correct response is one of comfort. We have the ability, not to mention the responsibility to comfort others with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted.
Ultimately we will be delivered, but for now while we wait for our deliverance we have comfort in affliction.

2 Corinthians 13:11 -  "Finally, brethren, rejoice, be made complete, be comforted, be like-minded, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you."