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. – 2 Corinthians 1:3

A man by the name of Paul had a Ph.D. in sorrow, suffering, trials, and tribulations. Paul was an expert on what it meant to be comforted, and he had plenty of experience in needing to be. He experienced everything from emotional suffering, to physical sickness, to spiritual sorrow. Out of it, God taught him one of the most valuable lessons we can ever learn. God wants to use your misery for ministry. So if you currently find yourself in a place full of hurt and heartache, here is what you need to do.

First, go to the source of comfort. Today’s key verse is the only time in Scripture when God is called “the God of all comfort.” What’s even more interesting about this verse, though, is that the word “comfort” is the same word used to describe the Holy Spirit. In the Greek language, it is the word “paraclete” which literally means “called alongside to help.”

In essence, Paul is saying here that no matter what you go through, or what you are currently going through, you are not going through it alone. God is always right beside you to help you. He is right there to strengthen you. He is right there to comfort you. So when you’re walking through hard and hurtful times, go to the source of comfort: Jesus!

Second, get the supply of comfort. When you go to the source of comfort, you will find that you will get the supply of comfort. One of the reasons why God allows the lights to go out in our lives and lets things go dark is to force us to go to Him and get the supply of His comfort. It’s why hurt, heartache, pain, problems, troubles, trials, and tribulations come our way, because God wants to force us to look up. God wants us to go to His supply of comfort. God wants to drive you into His open arms and His loving hands so He can give you the comfort that you need.

Finally, give the strength of comfort. Everything that God gives us is never just for our enjoyment; it is for His employment. Even your own salvation is not just so you can go to heaven. It is so you can tell other people how they can go to heaven. He has given all of us spiritual gifts, but He has given us those gifts to be opened up to bless others.

In other words, God does not comfort us to make us comfortable but to make us comforters. You see, God wants to take the pain of hurt in your life and transform it into medicine of comfort in someone else’s life. He wants to take the river of tears in your life and turn it into a fountain of comfort in someone else’s life. Remember this: the comfort of God is always the calling of God to share that comfort with someone else.

Dear Father, you know what I’m walking through right now, and you know that comfort is what I’m craving. I pray that you would comfort me like no one else can, and that I wouldn’t try to seek comfort from sources that will only leave me feeling more anxious and empty. In Jesus’ name, amen.