The God of All Comfort

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of  compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. 2 Corinthians 1: 3 – 4

Can you think of a time in your life when you clearly felt the love and comfort of God calming your spirit and soothing your soul? It was an experience when you knew without a doubt that it was Him, because you knew that there was no other way or explanation for how you could have had the strength to handle the situation without His abiding love. You felt His strength, His peace, His comfort all around you and you felt His presence with you.

You probably remember these experiences as vividly as I do, for they were the most amazing gift at the time, and we can look back on them with the most grateful heart.

Or perhaps, you have been in a difficult situation when one or more individuals may have come in your path when you needed them most to help encourage and console you through a trying ordeal. You may have not even known them, but it was as if they knew exactly what words you needed to hear and how to help you make the decisions you needed to make. You felt their love and their strength, you were so grateful for their presence, and you wondered how you would have gotten through it without them. We never know when God will send just the assistance we need to help us through the trying times.

Praise be to our amazing, sovereign God! We need to keep our eyes, heart, and hope on our “Father of compassion“, who stands ready to give us His endless tenderness, understanding, and perfect love. Yet, this merciful God longs to give this love to everyone. He doesn’t just comfort us for our own good. He entrusts His comfort to us so that we might share it with others.

Going through these times of adversity gives us a new compassion for others. If we have experienced His grace, we will want to share His comfort and peace with those who are suffering – especially with those who may not know our God well enough to draw directly from His grace and comfort. As they see our love and compassion for them, we pray they too will be drawn to know this God who can bring such comfort and hope.

May we never forget how “the God of all comfort” understands our deepest sorrows, our most hurtful rejections, and our most painful grief. May we always seek Him, be grateful for the comfort He provides, and allow His Spirit to lead us to console others. What a gift it will be for us to give!

Prayer

Dear God, we thank you for the comfort and love you so unconditionally provide in our times of greatest need.  May we in turn share your comfort with others and may they see your love and grace in us and come to know you. Amen