When contrary winds blow, and nothing seems to work, the Lord is there, never abandoning us whom He loves.
2 Corinthians 1:3 “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 tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”
The Hebrew word for “comfort” is used 100 times in the O.T. alone, and “consolation” 15 times. In the spelling of the word for comfort and consolation, in it’s very root is the idea of God’s support toward those who breath strongly for sorrow …. weeping in grief. He is compassionate and kind to sad and weeping hearts and is the master of consolation.
It would seem to me, from God’s perspective, “comfort” and “consolation” are important to Him for us to possess and understand, especially now, when the world is in a downward spiral, the church, much at its’ own hand, is viewed as swindlers, liars, adulterers and thieves, and life in general seems visionless, dark, and down cast. Many of us are like 2 Corinthians 7:5 in that we feel as though our bodies have no rest, there is trouble on every side, outside are conflicts, and inside are fears.
Jesus Christ is the “God of all comfort.” Jesus is with us when we are in the “pits” of life: no matter how down we may be, He is with us. Did you catch that? For those who believe, no matter how down we may be, God is with us. Jesus said always with you and never leave you, and if He said it we can bank on it. And for those who are still pre-believers, God is never far and is always ready to act if we’ll simply call. 63 times, the Lord repetitively tells us, “Fear not”, not counting the variations on the theme “fear not”. Deut 13:6 says God will never leave us or forsake us, and God doesn’t kid around. The Holy Spirit will come to us and strengthen us through life’s trials and difficulties if we ask Him to. Ask Him and then let Him do it! He is waiting for you. When we have learned firsthand what it means to be comforted by the Holy Spirit, then we can truly serve comfort to others. God comes to us before He goes through us, which suggests that before pouring out to others in service, the Lord builds character in us and we need to be filled and empowered by the Holy Spirit. He knew that even the kindest words are not consolation enough when we are pressed by death and loss … as a result, He went the next mile and sent his Son to save us, and sends his Spirit to bring us to Him. Jesus IS our consolation.
Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 7:6 “Nevertheless God, who comforts the downcast …”. “Downcast” is the Greek word “tapeinos” (tah-peen-‘oahs), literally meaning “low to the ground, brought low with grief, depressed.” Metaphorically, the word signifies “low estate,” “lowly in position and power,” “humble.” God comforts those who are low to the ground, and He is on the side of people who have been put down by life. God is right there for His people when they are sad, lonely, and confused. When His people are in the “pits” of life, He is there to lift them out and to put their feet on higher ground. Listen, life throws “curve balls” to everyone not just you, no matter how “spiritual” we may be. Jesus said in Matthew 5:45, “He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.” The sun rises and sets on us all, good, bad, righteous and unrighteous. You are not alone in your trouble for Jesus still remembers when the world forgets. In 1816, in “Come, Ye Disconsolate,” a hymn written by Thomas Moore in 1816 one line is “earth has no sorrow that Heaven cannot heal”. Jesus is the answer, always.
God is a loving, kind, and caring Father who is always there to offer comfort and consolation to us. David mentions three times the key to overcoming being cast down, grieved, and low to the ground saying, “Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God …”. Hope, the expectation of becoming and overcoming. Let us hope in God.
So let us know, Let us press on to know the Lord, “As sure as dawn breaks, so sure is his daily arrival. He comes as rain comes, as spring rain refreshing the ground.” Hosea 6:3.
Hosea 6:3 is our promise of comfort and consolation, and God NEVER breaks His promises, even if we think He has, does, or will, let us be assured, God keeps ALL His promises and is completely faithful. Hypocrisy is the Achilles heel of all mankind for God is the only one who always does all, and exactly what He says. The Lord will come to us like the rain. Let us comfort others with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God, and if we have an abundance of comfort and consolation, pay it forward.
i’m Social Porter for Living In His Name Ministries.