II Corinthians 7:6 Nevertheless God, that comforteth those that are cast down, comforted us by the coming of Titus.
The God of All Comfort
All of us have days when we just need someone to put their arm around us, give us a kind word, and put some courage in us. We need someone to encourage us, and sometimes we need someone to comfort us.
II Corinthians reminds us that our God is the Father of mercies and “the God of all comfort.” What a wonderful title! God Almighty is the God of all comfort. That means that God is both willing and wanting to comfort you in your need.
Recently, I have had a lot of friends who have been in great need of comfort. The question is, “How does God comfort people?” Is God going to show up at your house, knock at your door, come in, and give personal comfort? Well, there are a number of ways, both directly and indirectly, where God gives comfort to us. One of the most fascinating ways is found in II Corinthians 7:6 where it says, “Nevertheless God, that comforteth those that are cast down, comforted us by the coming of Titus.” So, did Titus comfort Paul? Or did God comfort Paul? The answer is “yes.” God comforted Paul by the coming of Titus.
Verse 7 goes on to say, “And not by his coming only, but by the consolation wherewith he was comforted in you.” There was a chain reaction. The people at Corinth gave encouragement to Titus and Titus passed that along to Paul. Verse 13 says, “Therefore we were comforted by your comfort: yea, and exceedingly the more joyed we for the joy of Titus, because his spirit was refreshed by you all.”
Many times God Himself comforts us by using other people. Now, that means that one of the reasons that God comforts me is so that I can pass it on to those who are in need of it later on. II Corinthians 1:4 says that God “comforteth us in our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.”
You may be going through something right now that makes no sense to you but will prepare and enable you to comfort other people in a future time in a way you cannot comfort them right now. God gives comfort to us, God gives comfort through us, and God gives comfort for others. God’s grace is shown in His people. That means that there may be a reason for the distress you are in. Rest assured that God is the God that comforts you, will comfort you, and wants to use you to comfort others in coming days.