受苦之際仍不忘關心別人
哥林多後書一章1至11節
1奉神旨意作基督耶穌使徒的保羅和兄弟提摩太，寫信給在哥林多神的教會，並亞該亞遍處的眾聖徒。
2願恩惠、平安從神我們的父和主耶穌基督歸與你們！
3願頌讚歸與我們的主耶穌基督的父神，就是發慈悲的父，賜各樣安慰的神。
4我們在一切患難中，他就安慰我們，叫我們能用神所賜的安慰去安慰那遭各樣患難的人。
5我們既多受基督的苦楚，就靠基督多得安慰。
6我們受患難呢，是為叫你們得安慰，得拯救；我們得安慰呢，也是為叫你們得安慰；這安慰能叫你們忍受我們所受的那樣苦楚。
7我們為你們所存的盼望是確定的，因為知道你們既是同受苦楚，也必同得安慰。
8弟兄們，我們不要你們不曉得，我們從前在亞西亞遭遇苦難，被壓太重，力不能勝，甚至連活命的指望都絕了；
9自己心裡也斷定是必死的，叫我們不靠自己，只靠叫死人復活的神。
10他曾救我們脫離那極大的死亡，現在仍要救我們，並且我們指望他將來還要救我們。
11你們以祈禱幫助我們，好叫許多人為我們謝恩，就是為我們因許多人所得的恩。
信息分享
基督徒為甚麼要受苦呢？理由可以有很多，但保羅在這裡指出了受苦的其中一個目的，就是基督徒遭遇苦難，可使他更懂得安慰其他在苦難中的人。
高比思（Fanny Crobsy）寫過很多優美的詩歌。當她講述她童年時，如何因醫生的誤診而導致失明時，她曾經說道：「這個錯誤令那個醫生一生遺憾。誠然，這個不幸可能因醫生的過失造成，但是，神卻是不會弄錯的。我真心相信神的心意是要我在黑暗中生活，以致我能更懂得唱詩讚美祂，並鼓勵其他人頌讚祂。」
患難和壓力對保羅造成甚麼影響呢？第9節告訴我們，它們驅使他更親近神。他從中學會了倚靠神而不再依仗自己，這使他對神的信心不斷加增。要是神能夠帶領他經過那些患難，那麼，祂必能帶領他度過任何境況了（10節）。
同樣地，我們遭遇的每一個經歷，都應該促使我們更信靠神和祂的應許。我們的信心並不是單單建基在人生經歷上，而是要以神自己和祂的話語作為基礎。
此外，我們還得留意，保羅認定朋友的代禱對他很有幫助（11節），他經常提及這些代禱對他來說是何等重要。有沒有朋友急需你的代禱呢？何不今天就禱告紀念他們？在神的恩手帶領下，你的代禱可能會為其他信徒帶來合時的鼓勵和幫助。讓我們就從今天開始！
你今天可以為誰代禱呢？
SUFFERING BUT STILL CARING
2 Corinthians 1:1-11
1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,
To the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints who are in all Achaia:
2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,
4 who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ.
6 Now if we are afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effective for enduring the same sufferings which we also suffer. Or if we are comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation.
7 And our hope for you is steadfast, because we know that as you are partakers of the sufferings, so also you will partake of the consolation.
8 For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Asia: that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life.
9 Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead,
10 who delivered us from so great a death, and does deliver us; in whom we trust that He will still deliver us,
11 you also helping together in prayer for us, that thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf for the gift granted to us through many.
Message
Do you notice the words Paul used in these verses to describe his experiences? Troubles, sufferings, distress, hardships, pressure, despair and deadly peril - that is quite a list. We are not told the various situations Paul was referring to but it underlines the undeniable fact that Christians can and do suffer. Paul certainly did, for Christ's sake.
Why do Christians suffer? There are many reasons. Here Paul states (v.4) that one purpose of suffering in a Christian worker's (or in any Christian's) life is to make him or her able to comfort others.
The hymn-writer Fanny Crosby told how a doctor mistakenly placed the wrong medication in her eyes when she was very young. Later Fanny Crosby said, "That error was one of the great sorrows of his life. It may have been a blunder on his part, but it was no mistake on God's. I really believe it was God's intention that I should live my days in physical darkness so as to be better prepared to sing His praises and help others to do so."
What had suffering and pressure done to Paul? Verse 9 tells us that it had driven him back to God. He had learned to rely on Him and not on himself. It had increased his faith in God. If God could bring him through those experiences, God could bring him through anything (v.1 0).
In the same way every experience should strengthen our faith in God and in His promises. Faith must not be based on experience alone. It must rest firmly on God and on His Word.
Notice also that Paul acknowledged (v.11) the help of his friends' prayers. He often spoke of what they meant to him. Is there someone in need for whom you should be praying? Why not remember them today? Your prayer may be the means under God's hand for their encouragement or their deliverance. Do it today.
WHO ARE YOU PRAYING FOR TODAY?