I’ve heard many times people referring to God comforting us in our trials and/or hardships. I never bothered to look into a deeper study on it to actually understand how he comforts. It was just always understood that He comforts us-period. One very familiar scripture on this subject is 2 Corinthians 1:3-4.
“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 receive from God.”
So, I’m understanding then, that any comfort that we have received from God, we can in turn comfort others in the same way.
I use to ask myself exactly how does God comfort us. I would attend meetings and gatherings where we would pray for God to comfort those who were sick. Still, for me, it was simply understood-he comforts.
When my wife, Mary, got sick with cancer, there came a time when I would make her meals and attend to her every need. One day as I was giving her something to eat, I shared my thoughts with her on this. I thought that maybe this is how God comforts us. He tends to our needs through others. The indwelling of the Spirit and our Christ like behavior should have us tending and comforting those in need, thus God working through us. I sat on that decision until I wasn’t satisfied with it. Then I asked myself WHAT is God’s comfort.
Comfort does not take away the pain, the hurt, sorrow, loss, tears, the hunger, fear, loneliness, or anger. It does not take away an emotional landslide. When I lost my wife, comfort didn’t bring her back or stop the sorrow. When some friends of mine lost their son in a tragic shooting, comfort didn’t stop their hurt or put back together their hearts that were shattered that day. Maybe comfort only does what God designed it to do. To just be there. Maybe like I thought after all, tending to each others needs.
Maybe you have that one blanket that is really comfortable. Maybe it’s that one chair or one spot on the couch where no one else is allowed to sit, because it’s most comfortable to you. It could also be a certain kind of boot or a style of shirt or hat that you like and feel comfortable wearing. It could even be a place or area in public that you won’t go, because you wouldn’t be comfortable. Sometimes we can change all that. So, let me grab that hat I like to wear, my favorite jacket and pair of boots. Gonna sit in my favorite spot covered with my favorite blanket and watch my favorite show tonight….all comforted now.
Unfortunately, sometimes we can’t change things to the way we want. Some things are completely out of our control. They are like a thief and they come and steal from us. Or tragedy comes knocking at the door and chaos enters the room. When the storms of life blow through taking every bit of happiness with it, we need to be comforted in a way that only God knows best. Comfort comes to calm the weary soul. It sits beside the lonely and brings encouragement. It lets us know when we’re afraid that it will never leave or abandon us. It feeds and nourishes our hungry spirit. It wraps it’s arms around us and holds us close, and sometimes is just silent. Mostly though, comfort that comes from God says I love you and I’m here for you.
Broadcasting Hope 