2 Corinthians 1:4
"[GOD] who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God." (NIV)
No matter what we are going through we need to remember that God is our great comforter. He comforts us with His Word and His promises.
Psalm 71:21
"You shall increase my greatness,
And comfort me on every side."
Psalm 119:50
"This is my comfort in my affliction,
For Your word has given me life."
Everyone says to "take comfort in the Lord" or "rest in Him" when we are in enduring hardship or are in pain. I think we sometimes accept those statements without really understanding the meaning behind them.
If we truly hold onto Christ and look to Him for strength, we will get through whatever it is we are going through because when we TRULY acknowledge what Jesus did on the cross for us, anything that we can EVER go through is nothing compared to that. Our comfort during these times is not just the comfort of knowing He is there but knowing that if He did that for us so we could spend eternity with Him in Heaven, we can endure anything this world throws at us.
That is why Paul says in Hebrews 12:1-2
"Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."
And not only are we to take comfort in the Lord during our own troubles but we are to take this same comfort to others that are suffering. This applies to believer's and non-believers. The follower of Christ may need to be reminded of the comfort we have in Christ (as I did this week) and the non-believer needs to know of the comfort in Christ that they can have.
We do not need to have experienced the same trouble that someone has gone through in order to bring them comfort because even though we haven't experienced the trial, we HAVE experienced His grace, mercy, love and comfort. That is what we can share.
Be Comforted and Comfort Others Today!!
