“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 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” (2 Cor 1:3-4).
This beautiful prayer forms part of a trilogy of heaven-inspired benedictions, each easy to recall because they are all found at a chapter 1, verse 3. The other two are Ephesians 1:3 and 1 Peter 1:3.
This one tells us that the strongest person in the world is the believer because God fortifies us (comfort = con + fortõ, to add strength) to face every trouble. Ephesians 1:3 explains that we are also the richest people in the world because He has “blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.” And 1 Peter 1:3 reminds us that the believer is also the wisest person in the world because our “living hope” hides our treasures away, beyond the reach of rust, thief, devaluation, or loss, and awaits us in heaven.