”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.”
2 Corinthians 1:3-4, NIV
‘All’, ‘All’ and ‘Any’ are the vital words which bring our Scripture for today to life in a very personal way. Some people feel that God is not there for them or that, perhaps, He loves other people more. They are not surprised when other people experience God’s blessing, but they don’t expect any blessings for themselves!
In these precious two verses Paul spells out for us that God’s comfort is sufficient for every situation – whatever it might be that we are going through. Paul explains that He is the God of ALL comfort, and that His comfort is sufficient for ALL our troubles.
Through the Holy Spirit God is the Comforter of those who mourn. He’s the Comforter of those who have suffered all kinds of loss. He’s our Comforter when suffering trials or temptations. He’s the Comforter who enables us to press on, even when it seems as though everyone is against us. He’s the Comforter who fills our heart with encouragement when we are feeling down and almost out. He’s the Comforter who understands the darkest of days and most difficult of situations. He’s the Comforter who stands with us in times of sickness or ill-heath. There is, in fact, no limit to the Comforter’s ability to be alongside us every step of life’s way and to be there for us.
A parent who sees their young child hurt will rush to their side, scoop them up in their arms and comfort them with buckets of love. The reason parents do that is because we are all made in the image and likeness of God. We do instinctively the same sort of things our Heavenly Dad does. And if that’s how we behave, then that’s exactly how Father God behaves towards ALL His children. Love is His motivating force – and He has an endless comforting love – for HE IS LOVE (1 John 4:16).
Prayer: Thank You, Lord, that Your very nature is Love and that we can at all times trust You to be our Comforter in times of need. Help me, Lord, to bless other people with the same measure of love and comfort as we have received from You, so that they will experience the touch of God on their lives through what I do for them. In the Name of Jesus. Amen.