“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 have received from God.” (2 Cor 1:3–4 NIV)
We live in a world that is loaded with all kinds of situations and circumstances that are set to harass, trouble, discourage, distress and bring us down. Even our Lord Jesus Christ Himself acknowledged that as a fact and said to His disciples:
“…In this world you will have trouble…” (John 16:33 NCV)
Just think about that. Whether you like it or not, as long as you live in this present world, you will have trouble. The good news, however, is that the same Jesus who tells us that we will have trouble in the world also tells us that He has defeated the world for us. And since He has defeated the world for us, we don’t have to be afraid of whatever trouble the world or those who live in it may want to bring against us; the one who defeated the world on our behalf will comfort us.
Now, I may not know the kind of trouble you are facing in your life. But I do know this one thing: whatever your trouble is, God is able to comfort you if you will allow Him. He is a comforter, and He is willing to comfort anyone who will turn to Him for help. And He, unlike men, will not comfort you only with words; He will also comfort you with inner strength, courage, people, resources, opportunities, deliverance and even time. He will do whatever is necessary for you to walk in victory over everything that is distressing you.
Paul, in our opening Scripture, shares the testimony of his experience of God’s comfort with us. He and his colleagues had gone to the regions of Asia and Macedonia in Bible days to preach the word of God and had been faced with severe opposition and all sorts of hardships. In fact, the challenges they faced were so great that they thought they were going to die.
But you know what? In all of their troubles, God comforted them. How He comforted them Paul did not tell us. But he did tell us that God comforted them in all (not some) of their troubles. They were so comforted that they began to comfort those in any kind of trouble with the comfort they themselves had received from God. And that is how God intends to treat everyone who chooses to trust Him in all his circumstances. He will not only comfort him; He will also make him a comforter to others. (Cf. 2 Cor 1:8–9; 7:5–7)
Now, I pray that today my God, the Father of all comfort, will comfort you wherever you are distressed or troubled in your life. I pray that He will give you rest on every side and from all the attacks of the enemy. Go now and comfort those in your world. It is well with your soul.
Life application: Remember a hard season God brought you through. Today, reach out to one person facing something similar—a call, a visit or a message—and let them talk before you say anything. Then share simply how God comforted you; your own story of His comfort may be exactly what they need.