The God of All Comfort

Have you ever watched a child playing? They are so carefree and rambunctious. Sometimes, they fall and get hurt. Then what do they do? They cry and look for comfort from their parents. They want to be assured that everything will be alright, even though they are experiencing pain. Parents lovingly hold the child in their arms and whisper, "It's OK, I'm here."

I know of several families lately who have experienced the death of a loved one. In times like these, family and friends draw near to be a source of comfort for the family. Just the act of being there means a great deal to someone experiencing intense grief.

Webster defines comfort as, "to give strength and hope to: to cheer and to ease the grief or trouble of: console."

If you are a Christian, you can have the same experience of comfort with your Heavenly Father as you experienced with your earthly parents as a child.

A famous verse in Psalm 23 declares, "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me." Knowing that Jesus is the Good Shepherd Who takes care of us, His sheep, is a great source of comfort in times of turmoil.

Psalm 71:21 says, "Thou shalt increase my greatness, and comfort me on every side." Psalm 119:76 reads, "Let, I pray Thee, Thy merciful kindness be for my comfort, according to Thy word unto Thy servant. "

Isaiah 51:3 reads, "For the Lord shall comfort Zion: he will comfort all her waste places; and he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the Lord; joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody." Isaiah 61:2 says, "To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn." Isaiah 66:13 assures us, "As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you; and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem." Jeremiah 31:13 says, "Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance, both young men and old together: for I will turn their mourning into joy, and will comfort them, and make them rejoice from their sorrow." Your situation may look hopeless, but God can turn your mourning into dancing.

God's people can be comforted by the Holy Ghost, as in Acts 9:31, "Then had the churches rest throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied." The Scriptures can also bring us comfort, as in Romans 15:4, "For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope."

God comforts us, but we are also called upon to comfort each other. Isaiah 40:1 says, "Comfort ye, comfort ye My people, saith Your God." In 2 Corinthians 1:3-4, Paul exhorts, "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." 1 Thessalonians 5:11 asserts, "Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do."

All around us, there is a world full of hurting people, go comfort someone today and show them the Love of God.