The God of All Comfort

Those of us who have experienced the goodness of God will surely have ample proof of His infinite mercy. Who has not endured trials that have temporarily brought them down, accompanied by an avalanche of pain and tragedies that tear the soul apart to the point of collapse?

Are we Christians perhaps exempt from going through tribulations and times of anguish? We deceive ourselves if we say we are. Living a victorious life in Christ does not always spare us from the merciless attacks of the prince of darkness. But…it is good to know that we have a Father of mercies who comforts us.

The Bible tells us of a God who has never hesitated to stand beside the brokenhearted, those who suffer, those who are in pain as they journey through a desert with seemingly no oasis anywhere around, and those who weep without consolation, immersed in the sufferings of the flesh. In such cases, God’s supernatural grace is manifested not only to heal the wounds from life’s battles, but also to bring the comfort that restores hope so that we may keep walking by His mercy. We need only call upon Him and wait patiently!

One of the most compassionate, yet also most difficult, tasks of the body of Christ is to minister comfort to brothers and sisters who are temporarily suffering deep sorrow, which may range from the loss of a job to the loss of a loved one. Yet it happens that if the person offering comfort has not gone through the same pain as the one who is grieving, no elaborate words of comfort, no Bible verse suited to the occasion, no heartfelt embraces, and no eyes moistened by solidarity are enough—sometimes—to lessen the suffering: that horrible torment which uproots you from life and unwittingly turns you into a thoroughly miserable person. But He truly is a Father of mercies and a God of comfort.

You must turn to Him. His supernatural healing, His overflowing grace like the finest ointment, cannot be compared in any way with what we, even with the best Christian intentions, could do. The comfort that springs from God’s supernatural action is what truly heals. When a person knows that they have been comforted by God Himself and comes to experience healing comfort, they begin to be equipped to comfort others. Paul rightly says: “(God)…who comforts us in all our tribulations, so that with the same comfort we have received from God, we too may comfort all those who suffer.” (2 Corinthians 1:4)

Those of us who have felt that divine healing which restores a soul torn in two by pain—and I foremost among them—know that we have been the vessel and instrument of a great miracle of God. When everything seemed to be collapsing around us, a desperate cry brought about the presence of the Comforter in the Spirit, who gently consumed the bitterness that was killing us, bestowing overflowing peace and healing of the heart. We thank God for the many brothers and sisters to whom He has given the gift of ministry for times of brokenness. I myself have felt that compassionate love from those who pour themselves out in love to bring us relief. I am sure that most of them also once presented to God the wounds caused by their pain. Even with them near us, knowing they are there and willing to serve us out of love, it is our pursuit of divine providence and of the power of our Lord’s incomparable grace that gives us the best medicine and the most precious comfort.

God bless you!