The God of All Comfort
May 20, 2008
Dear Friends,
Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. (2 Cor. 1:3-4)
Last week I wrote about the death of my mother. The expressions of sympathy in the form of cards, calls and e-mails were overwhelming. I regret that I didn’t have the time to respond personally to each one. This response from so many people literally all over the world brought to mind one of the hidden benefits of being a part of the body of Christ – comfort. Comfort can come in all forms and for different needs, but in times of tragedy or duress, it is beneficial to know that you have people who care and who are also willing to help.
There are several brethren who publish news of what is going on in the brotherhood. Literally, there can be a tragedy or sickness of a brother or sister half way around the world and you will know about it within a matter of hours. This is a practical outworking of the passage “whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it.” (1 Cor. 12:26)
Recently a young sister passed away after a long bout with cancer. I never knew her personally, but did send her my well wishes when she was found to be sick. I also prayed for her and her family as I know literally thousands of other people did. My ecclesia prayed for her and her family. I have no doubt that my expression of concern was lost in the pile of correspondence the family received and amidst all of the concerns for treatments and so forth. At the same time, I also believe that my expression of concern was a small part of a larger feeling of concern in the same way that a flood is made up of millions of tiny drops of water. I hope that in this tragic event, they found some solace in all of the prayers and expressions of love they received.
In the 2 Corinthians 1 passage quoted above, the Apostle Paul tells us that we worship a God who, among his many titles, is “the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort.” Perhaps the greatest comfort that God provides to me is His promise that He is in control. I don’t have to worry if God is doing the right thing or if He has made a mistake. He says (and I emphatically believe) that “all things work together for good to them that love God.” (Rom. 8:28) Often times I do not understand the good that God is doing, but that is where faith comes in. Faith, in its most elemental form, is simply believing that God is going to do what He says He is going to do. “He is faithful that promised.” (Heb. 10:23)
It is fitting that those who strive to mimic God’s divine character also show mercy, sympathy and comfort. Like so many aspects of God’s character which He shares with us such as love and comfort, we only truly receive the benefit when we pass it on to others. God comforts us and we then, in turn, comfort others.
Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work. (2 Thess. 2:16,17)
Have a great week,
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