Till We Are Home

After greeting the church in Corinth, Paul opens his second letter to the church there by saying, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” (2 Cor 1:3-4)

For a long while now, these verses have been helpful and encouraging for me. Over the years, as we have endured sorrow after sorrow, Paul’s encouragement to the Corinthians helped me and helps all Christians to see that, 1. we find our comfort in God alone, and 2. we take the comfort we receive from Him to be a comfort to others in their pain. 

First, look again at what he says in verse three and the beginning of verse four, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction”. Here we see that God is all the comfort we need. We don’t look for comfort anywhere else, no vice, no substance, nothing of this earth can truly bring us comfort…it is God and God alone who is the God of all comfort. But, also, God does not withhold His comfort from us. Instead, He comforts us in all our affliction.

What are you facing today? What trials, heartaches, difficulties, calamities afflict you? Do you find difficulty in your marriage? Does loneliness plague you? Have you felt overcome by addiction? Did you miss your chance to conceive another month? Hear the testimony of Scripture that God, the God of all comfort will bring you comfort Himself in any affliction you face. 

You are not alone, brother or sister. The God of all comfort is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit (Ps 34:18). Cry out to Him. Find your comfort in God and God alone.

Second, the God of all comfort who comforts us in all our affliction then invites us into His ministry to comfort others in their affliction. We have the privilege to take what God has done for us and be a light and help to others around us who may be suffering. Paul says in verse four, “so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” 

One of the very amazing means by which the Lord comforts His people is through His people. God invites us into His own work…like a father who brings his child to work and allows him to help do daddy’s job, our God brings us along with Him to minister to our brothers and sisters deep in sorrow to bring His comfort. 

Is that not amazing?

Just as we are invited into the work of the Lord to bring the gospel to others, we are also entrusted to take His comfort to our hurting brothers and sisters. Sinners saved by grace, broken clay vessels carrying the greatest treasure ever, are given the honor to help others in affliction with the comfort of the Lord.

With these two beautiful truths from 2 Corinthians 1:3-4, take two things to heart. First, fall back into the amazing God that we have! Find your comfort in Him for He is the God of all comfort. Dig into His Word, cry out to Him in prayer, receive His comfort through the church. Second, when you get through this season of hurt – though, the pain may never truly go away – take the comfort that the Lord gave you and be a blessing to your brothers and sisters in their afflictions. Go to them…don’t be afraid if you feel you never have the exact words to say. Go to your brother or sister and the Lord will help you to be the comfort He wants to be to them through you.

Live as strangers and aliens in this world, for we belong to another. See that all we have is each other, and live to bring the comfort of God to others…

Till we are home…