Being compassionate is not what you do, but who you are

<p>2 Corinthians 1:3-4 - "Praise the God and Father of our Lord Yeshua Messiah! He is the Father who is compassionate and the God who gives comfort. He comforts us whenever we suffer. That is why whenever other people suffer, we are able to comfort them by using the same comfort we have received from God."</p><p>This wise admonition of the apostle Paul contains within itself the makings of a simple truism: If we have received comfort from God through some trouble, then we have the ability, and the responsibility, to comfort others with that same comfort that we had received. In this sense, these verses contain a kind of "pay it forward" mentality. God comforts us, therefore we comfort others.</p><p>Psalm 34:19 - One who is righteous has many adversities, but Yahweh rescues him from them all.</p><p>The Psalmist writes that the righteous don't just coast through life with the best of everything. To the contrary, those who are righteous have many adversities to endure. Paul also confirms this as he writes to Timothy:</p><p>2 Timothy 3:10-12 - But you have followed my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, patience, love, and endurance, along with the persecutions and sufferings that came to me in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra. What persecutions I endured ​-- ​and yet Yahweh rescued me from them all. In fact, all who want to live a godly life in Messiah Yeshua will be persecuted.</p><p>The apostle Paul pulls no punches; anyone wanting to live a godly life in Messiah Yeshua will be persecuted.  But the good news is that through these shared tribulations, Yahweh will deliver them, just as Paul was delivered through his. He is encouraging the disciples to build one another up in their most holy faith by providing the comfort and insights they had received through these common experiences of persecution and affliction; this is what builds up the faith of the congregations.</p><p>If you enjoyed this week's podcast, be sure to visit <a href="http://coreofthebible.org/">coreofthebible.org</a> to read daily blog posts on these to