our daily bread
Dexu Xia
Comfort Shared
Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you. John 20:21
“God sent you to me tonight!”
Those were the parting words from the woman standing in front of me as we exited our flight to Chicago. She had sat across the aisle from me, where I learned she was headed home after several flights in a round-trip that day. “Do you mind if I ask why you had such a quick turnaround?” I inquired. She glanced downward: “I just put my daughter in rehab for drug abuse today.”
I praise You for Your compassion for us at the cross, Lord!
In the moments that followed I gently shared the story of my son’s struggle with heroin addiction and how Jesus had set him free. As she listened, a smile broke through her tears. After the plane landed we prayed together before parting, asking God to break her daughter’s chains.
Later that evening I thought of Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 1:3–4: “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.”
All around us are people who need to be encouraged with the comfort only God can give. He wants us to reach out to them with tenderhearted compassion, to share the love He has shared with us. May God send us to those who need His comfort today!
I praise You for Your compassion for us at the cross, Lord! Help me to comfort others with Your kindness and love today.
Watch Geoff Banks’ story at ourdailybread.org/story/geoff.
God’s kindness meets our deepest need.
分享安慰
愿你们平安！父怎样差遣了我，我也照样差遣你们。-约翰福音20章21节
当我抵达芝加哥准备下飞机的时候，站在我前面的一位女士对我说：“今晚上帝差遣了你来到我身边！”
在飞机上，她坐在走道的另一边。我知道那是她当天连续几次转机后的回程。我不解地问她说：“可否冒昧地请问妳，为什么妳急着今天来回呢？”她有点难过地说：“今天，我刚刚把女儿送进了戒毒中心。”
在接下来的时间，我慢慢和她聊到我儿子戒断海洛因时的挣扎，以及耶稣如何帮助他重获自由。她含着泪听我分享，最后终于露出笑容。飞机着陆时，我们在下飞机前一同祷告，求上帝断开她女儿身上的锁链。
那天稍晚时，我想起在哥林多后书1章3-4节保罗说：“愿颂赞归与我们的主耶稣基督的父上帝，就是发慈悲的父，赐各样安慰的上帝。我们在一切患难中，祂就安慰我们，叫我们能用上帝所赐的安慰去安慰那遭各样患难的人。”
我们周遭有许多人都需要鼓励，唯独上帝所赐予的安慰才能帮助他们。上帝要我们以温柔和怜悯去接触他们，与他们分享上帝赐给我们的慈爱。今天，愿上帝差派我们，到那些需要祂安慰的人身边！
主啊，我要赞美祢，因祢在十字架上，
显明祢对我们的怜悯！求祢帮助我，
今天能以祢的怜悯与慈爱来安慰人。