“We know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this fellow, we don’t even know where He comes from.” The man answered, “Now that is remarkable! You don’t know where He comes from, yet He opened my eyes.” John 9:29-30.

He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. Psalm 40:2.

I have set the Lord always before me. Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Psalm 16:8.

Before I begin a blog, I always pray that God will help me, even with the title. And cares do press in for me and for all of us in all the ways we can feel overwhelmed. And even the above Scripture verses given show the difference between living in those cares with God and without Him. Because…Now that is remarkable! You don’t know where He comes from, yet He opened my eyes! And how do you describe to anyone whose eyes are not opened to God the blessings affirmed in trusting Him? And I sensed that in our chapter, 2 Corinthians 1. And yet, without the help of the Holy Spirit, Paul’s words are difficult to understand; but with His help, we feel the love Paul has for Creator God – Father, Son, Spirit, and in His love, the love Paul has for the church in Corinth so struggling and torn by misunderstandings. Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother. To the church of God which is at Corinth with all the saints who are throughout Achaia: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, v. 1-3. How beautifully said…the Father of mercies…and God of all comfort. Remember that! …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. v. 4-5. How can we live in a broken world where people are hurting and not feel pain? 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. For we do not want you to be unaware, brethren, of our affliction which came to us in Asia, that we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life; indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves so that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead; who delivered us from so great a peril of death, and will deliver us, He on whom we have set our hope. And He will yet deliver us, you also joining in helping us through your prayers, so that thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf for the favor bestowed on us through the prayers of many. For our proud confidence is this: the testimony of our conscience, that in holiness and godly sincerity, not in fleshly wisdom but in the grace of God, we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially toward you. For we write nothing else to you than what you read and understand, and I hope you will understand until the end; just as you also partially did understand us, that we are your reason to be proud as you also are ours, in the day of our Lord Jesus. In this confidence I intended at first to come to you, so that you might twice receive a blessing; that is, to pass your way into Macedonia, and again from Macedonia to come to you, and by you to be helped on my journey to Judea. Therefore, I was not vacillating when I intended to do this, was I? Or what I purpose, do I purpose according to the flesh, so that with me there will be yes, yes and no, no at the same time? But as God is faithful, our word to you is not yes and no. For the Son of God, Christ Jesus, who was preached among you by us – by me and Silvanus and Timothy – was not yes and no, but is yes in Him. For as many as are the promises of God…in Him…they are yes; therefore also through Him is our Amen to the glory of God through us. Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us…is God, who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge. But I call God as witness to my soul, that to spare you I did not come again to Corinth. Not that we lord it over your faith, but are workers with you for your joy; for in your faith you are standing firm. v. 6-24.

It sounds like the church in Corinth took offense that Paul didn’t come to them first. In a deeper and broader view, do we take offense when God doesn’t do what we think He should or that we ask? In a still deeper and broader view, do we become undone as we see people in this world acting in ways that are harmful and dangerous? That, too, is in God’s care though we cannot fully understand now. Have I conducted myself in the world showing my faith in God? Or – have I fallen prey to all the rage-bait this world hurls at me? Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God…who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge. That means something! Just as Paul prayed always for the people in Corinth, I want to pray always for God’s love to be seen amidst the pain and suffering in this world because His love is the light of hope we all need. I pray His love will be received in their hearts that they will turn back to God and live. And as we pray for others, let us not forget our own hearts weighed down with worry. We need His love bringing light and hope to our own hearts! The Pharisees speaking to the blind man who was healed by Jesus may not have known where Jesus came from or who He was…but we do. Can we give thanks that Creator God brought into being through His will the very Scriptures we so easily take for granted? Can we ask for His help as we read them so that we can come to know Him personally? Because God’s love is very personal and given for us that we can live fully with Him. And as we live with Him, we begin to see glimmers of the love He has for all of us. We see love for what it truly is – and there, right there, is our hope! As I’m learning with His help, Love describes God Himself for God IS Love. Yesterday listening to Open Table Conference, Cherith Nordling said something that helps me so much…”Love never ceases to trust God and leaves justice in God’s hands who can bear all things and hold all things.” I can’t bear all things. I can’t understand any of the darkness of this world or my own response to it not of God’s Love. I turn to God. He not only holds all things, He holds me. Thank You, Lord, for so great a Love!