II Corinthians 1:3-4 “Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all 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.”
Recently, I was reminded that the family so often frames and illustrates who God is to us. That makes the family incredibly important! You probably think of God’s care and correction in the framework of someone in your family. II Corinthians 1:3-4 describes God as “the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort.” What descriptions of His character!
God is “the God of all comfort,” and we learn in II Corinthians 1:4 that He primarily comforts through people. He comforts us so that “we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.”
In II Corinthians 7, we find an interesting story about the Apostle Paul. He needed comfort after having trials, both inwardly and outwardly. What happened? “Nevertheless God, that comforteth those that are cast down, comforted us by the coming of Titus.” Was it God or Titus that comforted Paul? The answer is, yes! God is the God of ALL comfort-there is no comfort apart from Him. Equally true is the fact that Titus was the face of God’s comfort!
Why are you going through tribulations? I could not pretend to know all the reasons, but one of the good things about adversity is the fact that the comfort you receive is the very same comfort God can use in someone else’s life. God is a good God-He is a good Father. As frail as our human families are, they can remind us of the truth that our Father is the God of all comfort. Are you using the comfort you receive to comfort others? You just might receive comfort today that someone else will need tomorrow!
Prayer Requests:
1. Service tonight in Greer, SC
2. Ranch evangelists preaching this weekend in Elizabeth City, NC; Granite Falls, NC; and Margate, FL