rjones
Member
- Joined
- Jul 28, 2007
- Messages
- 314
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 will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. (2corinthians 1:3-4)
The word all comfort in this passage means more than soothing sympathy. It has the idea of strengthening, of helping, of making strong. The idea behind this word is communicated by the Latin word for comfort (fortis), which also means, “brave.”
When our brothers and sister in Christ are going through tribulation and affliction, we are to strenghten them with the strength we get from God.
One great purpose of God in comforting us is so that we can bring comfort to others. God’s comfort can be given and received through others.
Often, we never receive the comfort God wants to give us, because He wants to give it to us through another person. Pride often keeps us from revealing our needs to others, so we never receive the comfort God would give us through them.
When we do this, we isolate ourselves and pull away from the body of Christ and this is exactly what the enemy wants us to do. The devil prowls around like a roaring lion seeking those that are hurt and isolated because he knows they are easy picking. 1 Peter 5:8
Spiritual comforts are not given us for our use alone; they, like all the gifts of God, are given that they may be distributed, or become instruments of help to others.
So when The Lord speaks to us telling us to comfort someone, we should obey, even if requires us to get out of our "comfort zones".
An old preacher, a little before his death, rose out of his bed. His family asked," where are you going"? He answered, "I had had sweet dreams of the resurrection of Jesus Christ that night, and now I must go to the pulpit, and impart to others the comforts that I felt in my soul.
Praise to the God of all Comfort!
The word all comfort in this passage means more than soothing sympathy. It has the idea of strengthening, of helping, of making strong. The idea behind this word is communicated by the Latin word for comfort (fortis), which also means, “brave.”
When our brothers and sister in Christ are going through tribulation and affliction, we are to strenghten them with the strength we get from God.
One great purpose of God in comforting us is so that we can bring comfort to others. God’s comfort can be given and received through others.
Often, we never receive the comfort God wants to give us, because He wants to give it to us through another person. Pride often keeps us from revealing our needs to others, so we never receive the comfort God would give us through them.
When we do this, we isolate ourselves and pull away from the body of Christ and this is exactly what the enemy wants us to do. The devil prowls around like a roaring lion seeking those that are hurt and isolated because he knows they are easy picking. 1 Peter 5:8
Spiritual comforts are not given us for our use alone; they, like all the gifts of God, are given that they may be distributed, or become instruments of help to others.
So when The Lord speaks to us telling us to comfort someone, we should obey, even if requires us to get out of our "comfort zones".
An old preacher, a little before his death, rose out of his bed. His family asked," where are you going"? He answered, "I had had sweet dreams of the resurrection of Jesus Christ that night, and now I must go to the pulpit, and impart to others the comforts that I felt in my soul.
Praise to the God of all Comfort!
