23
May '19
The God of All Comfort (By Dan Adams)
23
May '19
Let’s be honest: life is hard sometimes. Really hard. We live in a fallen world, contaminated by sin, leading to all kinds of pain and suffering. Of course that wasn’t God’s intention for us. He created paradise for us (Genesis 1-2). But because of the fall (Genesis 3), we’re left with the consequences of a broken world. And Christians aren’t immune to this.
Of course, we look forward to when Christ ultimately makes all things right again. John gives us a glimpse of what this will be like.
“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” (Revelation 21:1-4)
I long for that day when He wipes away every tear. But until then, we still struggle. I hear heart-rending accounts on a regular basis of the pain people are wrestling with. This often takes the form of: the loss of a loved one, an acute health issue, a dysfunctional relationship, or a financial struggle. Each of these is painful in their own way.
I’m grateful that we can look forward to eternal life in Heaven. But I’m equally grateful that we can receive God’s help and comfort, even now. In 2 Corinthians 1, the Apostle Paul reminds us that God’s comforting presence is available to us here and now.
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 affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)
What a wonderful reminder that our Heavenly Father is the “Father of mercies and God of all comfort”. When we’re hurting, we can turn to Him, confidently trusting that He understands and cares about our struggles. We can lean into His comforting presence at any moment.
But the comfort doesn’t stop there. We’re able to pay it forward to others. The comfort that we receive enables us, in time, to bring comfort to others, especially those with similar struggles. Our struggles and the personal comfort we receive from God equip us, with greater compassion, to be a comfort and blessing to those in need.
If you’re going through a difficult season of life right now, my prayer for you is that you would know in a very real and tangible way the comforting presence of our Heavenly Father.