Jesus withdrew to the Mount of Olives and prayed, “Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” (Luke 22:42 NLT) Despite the suffering awaiting him, Jesus deferred to God’s will. And then something beautiful happened. Verse 43 says, “Then an angel from heaven appeared and strengthened him.” God sent comfort in the midst of suffering.
If we’re honest, complete reliance on God does not come naturally. But there are seasons where God allows suffering to make us remember where our help truly comes from. There are people and situations that He allows to teach us the flesh is weak, but only the Lord can renew our spirit. God meets us in the vulnerable darkest points to restore us.
4 He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. 5 For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ.
2 Corinthians 1:4-5 NLT
God comforts us, so we can comfort others. It is hard to embrace the comfort of God when we’re in denial. Like Jesus demonstrates, we have to be vulnerable before God. It’s our awareness of where we are and who’s we are that become the catalyst for a breakthrough. That’s how the Lord transforms us. He allows us to recognize our weakness, confess it to Him, and receive His comfort.
Before we can be a vessel, we must be vulnerable in our suffering.
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