Comfort!

Comfort!

‭2 Corinthians 1:3-4 KJV‬

[3] Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; [4] 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.

One of the best definitions of comfort I have read is: “to come alongside to give aid in time of need". Think of what this means: comfort is valuable because it is offered at the time of need. The person who gives it must have it in abundance, and it is the most appropriate need of the one who receives it. You may also ask why comfort is so important, and one way to determine its value is to consider the pressure of the world today. For as many as would surrender their lives to Jesus, they have declared themselves to be the enemy of the world. Of course, the world does not like to lose its own, and it will fight to take it back. The world becomes an enemy to the one who is submitted to the Word, and that is one of the reasons why those who are subject to the Word undergo trials and tribulations. If you are looking for a life of convenience, the world is the only place that may promise it, but it cannot guarantee it. 

It is in the Word we find the right kind of help and support that is appropriate for the times we are in. Check out how God the Father is described: the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort. He has mercies in abundance, as we also read in ‭Lamentations 3:22, which states quite clearly that "It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed".  He is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and it means he is also the Father of all who have accepted Jesus as Lord and Saviour. I cannot lay claim to the benefits and blessings of sonship or salvation, if I am not under the covenant and cover of sonship. As we also know, one can only give out of what he has in abundance; therefore, if God is the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort, you already have a clear idea of what you are getting from Him. There is no demand on earth that can exhaust the resources of heaven. 

I can then take from the abundance of what I have received to be a blessing to the lives around me. I am able to impact lives with the impact of the mercies of God upon my own life. My life's story becomes a testimony that can bless another life. Let it be clear today: at no time did God promise His own that there will be no pressure or pain. In fact, He says clearly that as long as we are in this world, we will have tribulation, but His death on the cross and resurrection from the dead has sealed eternal life for us. We know that the pain of this present earthly phase cannot be compared with the glory that will be revealed in us. If I will claim the benefits, I must be sure I qualify. If I will be a blessing to another, I must first be a partaker and beneficiary of the blessing. Citizens are entitled to benefits; they are not for aliens or strangers. Am I one? God's time of favour is here.