Thursday: Comfort and Joy
Daily Lesson for Thursday 3rd of September 2026
Read 2 Corinthians 7:1-16. What are Paul’s feelings upon hearing that the Corinthians had repented?
How much love flows from the words “You are in our hearts” (2 Corinthians 7:3, NKJV; see also 2 Corinthians 6:11). In his deep desire to have his love reciprocated, Paul also says, “Make room in your hearts for us” (2 Corinthians 7:2, ESV). While the phrase “in your hearts” is not in the Greek text, most English versions supply it, which is correct because the context supports it.
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Indeed, the Corinthians opened their hearts to Paul and his fellow workers. This is why verse 4 is a burst of joy. Paul’s words express how positive his feelings are at this moment: “Great is my boldness of speech toward you, great is my boasting on your behalf. I am filled with comfort. I am exceedingly joyful in all our tribulation” (2 Corinthians 7:4, NKJV). Paul is filled with comfort and joy. How much comfort and joy our churches can bring to the hearts of their ministers by faithfully committing themselves to Christ.
In 2 Corinthians 7:5-16, Paul further explains the reason for his comfort and joy. These two concepts dominate the passage. The verb parakaleō (“to comfort”) or the noun paraklēsis (“comfort”) occurs together a total of seven times in 2 Corinthians 7:1-16. This section of the letter ends the same way it began, namely, with much comfort in God (2 Corinthians 1:3-7). Paul’s comfort in 2 Corinthians 7:1-16 comes from the relief he experienced because the severe letter produced the effect he intended for it.
Although this relief is the result of Titus’s positive report, ultimately, God is the agent of the comfort Paul experienced (2 Corinthians 7:6). God is indeed the “God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation” (2 Corinthians 1:3-4, NKJV).
Interestingly, while Paul is “filled with comfort,” he is “exceedingly joyful” (2 Corinthians 7:4,7,13). Although his painful letter had caused much sadness, that was a sadness according to God’s will with repentance intended (2 Corinthians 7:9-11, NASB). The Corinthians “sorrowed in a godly manner” (2 Corinthians 7:11, NKJV), a sorrow producing “repentance leading to salvation” (2 Corinthians 7:10, NKJV). What else could bring more joy to the heart of an authentic minister of God?
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Have you ever experienced godly sorrow in your life? How did you know that it was sorrow according to God’s will to lead you to repentance? |
The Psalmist said:
Could we write the same about our Seventh-day Adventist Church?
For most of my life, I have looked forward to the fellowship of fellow believers. Sabbath worship has been the highlight of the week for me. But there have been times when the division and suspicion have made church fellowship painful. And for some, that pain has been too much, and they have quietly left. When the church runs out of love, or is perceived to have run out of love, the reason for belonging has disappeared.
When I was a kid, my parents disciplined me. Sometimes that was painful. But one thing I always knew was that they loved me. Our home was a happy place, and even when I sulked, I knew I was always welcome back at the table.
Paul’s message to the Corinthians has its disciplinary message, but you get the distinct sense that love, joy and happiness in the norm for the church’s experience.
My prayer for our church is that we learn to listen to the prayers of those who are hurting, so they too will say, “Let’s go to the house of God. My heart leaps for joy.”
It is essential to note what gave Paul comfort and joy. He greatly rejoiced because other people were growing spiritually. His happiness was not self-centred. God comforts us and gives us joy when we rejoice in the success of others. When we share others’ joy, that joy becomes ours in return. “Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep.” ( Romans 12:15).
Good news about fellow believers should be a cause to praise and to thank God for. Wishing people well and doing good to them is a fundamental Christian principle. “If you water others, you will also be watered.” (Proverbs 11:25). The blessing you become to others can become the very channel through which God refreshes you.
We as humanity encounter seasons of mounting pressure when we face demanding work environments, family tensions, health struggles, and quiet personal burdens that gradually erode our strength. In such moments of deep vulnerability, we wonder whether God notices our suffering. Paul candidly describes his own experience in 2 Corinthians 7:5: “We were harassed at every turn—conflicts on the outside, fears within.” His words are a reminder that spiritual leaders and believers alike experience genuine trials, emotional struggles, and seasons of overwhelming pressure. Yet Paul’s distress was not the end of his story. He declares, “But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus” (2 Corinthians 7:6). What brought Paul particular joy and relief was hearing that the Corinthians had responded to his previous letter with genuine godly sorrow and repentance. Their changed hearts transformed his anxiety into encouragement and his sorrow into rejoicing.
Many are the times, while serving the Lord, that men and women of God come to the end of their endurance—cast down, weary, discouraged, and utterly confused. Yet 2 Corinthians 7 points out that God does not abandon His servants in their low moments. He meets them with comfort, encouragement, and evidence of His work in the lives of His people. Paul was deeply encouraged when Titus brought him news of the Corinthians’ repentance: “God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus” (2 Corinthians 7:6). Their repentance brought Paul great joy: “I have great confidence in you; I take great pride in you. I am greatly encouraged; in all our troubles my joy knows no bounds” (2 Corinthians 7:4). This is the heart of a true spiritual leader—Paul’s greatest relief was not that his own problems had disappeared, but that the people he loved had returned to God. Their repentance gave him renewed joy and confidence. Therefore, when life feels heavy, we must anchor our hearts in the character of God, trusting that He is able to bring comfort in our lowest moments and bring transformation even out of situations that have caused us deep sorrow. God can turn the tears of a burdened servant into the joy of seeing lives restored to Him.
Hi people…
It’s time for a … time out..dr Torben Bergland…slow down allow spaces to open up.. pause..question..evaluate… reconsider..allow reflection to enter…what are the real values and priorities in my life?
Excerpt from hope booklet by Mark Finley.
Sometimes our hurts come from an oblique perspective…instead of the perfect square found in the heavenly home. We are the comforters and not those who are constantly rushing around seeking comfort and attention.
We have an obligation perspective instead of an oblique perspective.
Blessings reneanne Anderson.
Hi people
All things new…global launch day of one voice 2027 on September 5. Just read it on adventist news network. Today is Thursday September three. Sabbath is September five here in Australia. Well what about this concept of all things new? How can we be involved? Reneanne Anderson
For those of you who do not know what “Onevoice 27” is, check out their webpage at https://onevoice27.org/
Hi people…well an advance contribution to Sabbath five September launch of one voice 2027…
Elizabeth Barrett Browning…
Each Christian nation shall take upon her…
The law of the Christian man in vast…..
The crown of the Getter shall fall to the donor
And last shall be first and first shall be last…
And to love best shall still be to reign unsurpassed…
Reneanne Anderson
Godly sorrow for sin is part of true repentance in that it is sorrow for the pain inflicted by the offense. We see the difference between Judas, and Peter and their responses to betraying and denying (a type of betrayal) the Lord.
The betrayal of Jesus by Judas was not born out of hatred for Jesus but by a desire to force Jesus to flex his “messianic muscle” to free Israel from Roman subjection and domination. He, like many, totally missed the purpose of Jesus’ mission. It wasn’t to deliver Israel from captivity by Rome, but from captivity by sin and the devil. Judas was sorrowful for the way things turned out, the consequences of his action (the arrest of Jesus) not because of the fact that he betrayed the Lord. Sorrow for the consequences of sin is not godly sorrow. Sorrow for the pain the sin afflicted upon others, especially Jesus, is godly sorrow.
By contrast, Peter’s sorrow was from the emotional pain that his denial of Christ caused Jesus. One wept bitterly over their failure, the other killed himself because of embarrassment and an unwillingness to face the consequences of his behavior.
We sometimes see this played out in a courtroom scene where a criminal shows no remorse for the crime they committed and the pain it caused the victim and/or the victim’s family, only for the penalty (sentence) imposed upon them. One doesn’t altogether avoid the consequences of their action by taking matters into their own hands. Instead they merely delay it until the judgement standing before the judgement throne of Christ.
When we fail the Lord by sinning may that knowledge cause us godly sorrow leading to repentance and a closer walk with Jesus. Are we tired of playing games? Do we really want to change and never cause Jesus pain?
This principle is expressed in the powerful and contemplative lyrics of this song.
Feel the Nails, Ray Boltz
When I think of comfort, I think of the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, Who Jesus said He would send to encourage, sustain, and strengthen our faith in Jesus and God, our Father. And as in our passage today He wants to so indwell us that we may have the privilege of being His instruments to bring comfort to others. Please indwell us Holy Spirit!
The heart of 2 Corinthians 7:1–16 is that Paul’s sorrow turns into profound comfort and joy when Titus brings him a positive report of the Corinthians’ repentance and renewed relationship with him.
1. Paul was deeply relieved, comforted, and exceedingly joyful. His earlier letter had caused them sorrow, but it was a godly sorrow that led to repentance (2 Corinthians 7:9–10).
The good news from Titus reassured Paul that his difficult words had not destroyed the relationship; instead, God had used them to bring about spiritual restoration. Paul therefore says, “I am filled with comfort. I am exceedingly joyful” (7:4).
2.It reveals that Paul’s correction was never motivated by rejection or hostility. He could confront their wrong while still carrying them in his heart.
His appeal, “Make room for us in your hearts” (7:2), shows that Paul desired reconciliation, mutual love and restored trust, not merely obedience to his instructions.
This is an important principle for Christian leadership: correction without love wounds; correction flowing from love can restore.
3. Titus’s report was the turning point. Paul was suffering and uncertain about how the Corinthians had received his severe letter. Then Titus returned with encouraging news: the Corinthians had responded with repentance, earnestness, concern and renewed affection (7:7, 11–13).
Notice something beautiful: Titus became the bearer of good news that brought comfort not only to Paul but also to the entire ministry.
Ultimately, Paul recognizes that God was the source of his comfort (7:6). Titus brought the report, but God brought the transformation.
4. Positive reports are enormously important for the health and growth of a church. A church cannot thrive on criticism, complaints and bad news alone. Leaders and members need to hear about what God is doing.
A positive report can:
-Encourage ministers and leaders who may be carrying unseen burdens.
Strengthen unity and trust between leaders and congregations.
-Affirm spiritual growth, especially when people respond to correction and begin changing.
-Create hope when a church is going through difficult circumstances.
-Motivate further faithfulness because people see that their efforts are producing fruit.
-Shift the conversation from problems to God’s work in solving those problems.
But biblical positive reporting is not flattery or hiding problems. Titus did not bring Paul empty praise. He brought an honest report of genuine repentance and changed attitudes.
The lesson for us
There is something profoundly pastoral here. Paul needed Titus’s good report. Even an apostle carrying a great responsibility was strengthened when he heard that the people he loved were responding positively to God’s work.
Our churches should therefore learn to become bearers of Titus-like reports—not gossip, not exaggerated praise, and not the suppression of problems, but truthful accounts of repentance, reconciliation, growth, faithfulness and lives being transformed by Christ.
A positive report can become an instrument of God’s comfort. Titus brought Paul news of what God had accomplished in Corinth, and that report turned anxiety into comfort, sorrow into joy, and uncertainty into renewed hope.
And perhaps the greatest lesson is this: When God brings transformation in His church, somebody should be willing to tell the story.
One of the strongest evidences of the transforming impact of Paul’s Damascus experience amd the authenticity of his ministry is the radical change in his attitude toward the very people he once persecuted. The former prosecutor of Christians, who had once acted with hatred and violence toward the church, became its passionate defender and repeatedly taught believers to love one another. His letters are filled with appeals for love—for Christ, for the church, and for one another. This was more than a change of theology; it was a change of heart. The persecutor became a shepherd. The man who once sought to destroy the church gave his life to build it up. That is powerful evidence that Paul had truly encountered Christ and been transformed by the Holy Spirit.
I myself need this “godly comfort” every day. Not because I deserve it, but because I know God longs to give it to me. May He give the same comfort to all who look for Him, including the ones who bother me, perhaps because they are not looking to the right person for their comfort!
When Paul heard from Titus that the Corinthians had truly repented after his hard letter to them, he was filled with comfort and great joy. He tells them “You are in our hearts” because he deeply loves them, and he asks them to also “make room in your hearts for us.”
His severe letter had made them sad, but it was a _godly sadness_ that led them to repentance and salvation – not just feeling bad. Because they opened their hearts again to him, Paul felt relieved and joyful even though he was still going through hard times.
The lesson points out that the word “comfort” appears 7 times here, and ultimately Paul says God is the one who comforted him – He is the “God of all comfort.”