God of All Comfort

We all have moments where we need comfort. Difficult times are certainly not in short supply, and how we deal with hardships matters. The world offers many “comforts” but what our souls truly need is not found in these momentary distractions.

The Lord is God of all comfort (2 Corinthians 1:3). That means the comfort we need during times of suffering is found in Him (2 Corinthians 1:4). No other temporary fixes can give us peace that endures whatever life throws at us (Philippians 4:7). God is everlasting (Isaiah 26:4, 40:28; Psalm 135:13; Jeremiah 10:10), and because of this truth we can be confident that, unlike the temporal nature of worldly solace, His comfort will never cease and will always be available to us whenever we come before Him (Jeremiah 29:13; Matthew 7:7-11). When we draw near to God, He draws near to us (James 4:7-10).

Seeking the Lord in His Word and in prayer will keep us connected to His continuous comfort. He can use passages of Scripture to speak steadfast truth to our wavering hearts. We know that when we pray, He hears us and if it is according to His will and honors Him, we have what we ask (1 John 5:14-15). I believe that is true for comfort—He will give it to us. How that looks may vary from person to person, and we may not always feel it the way we want it.

But we can have peace in the midst of turmoil. And this depends on where we are fixing our eyes—at the impossible situation, or upon the God for whom nothing is impossible (Mark 10:27; 2 Corinthians 4:16-18; Hebrews 12:1-3). Any time we focus our attention on God and His Word, we can be assured that His living and active Word will work in our hearts and minds to bring the comfort we need (Hebrews 4:12; 1 Peter 5:6-7, 10).

First Corinthians 2:5 states, “For just as the sufferings of Christ overflow toward us, so also our comfort through Christ overflows to you.” As a community of believers, we can find comfort through one another since we are all one in Christ (Romans 12:5; 1 Corinthians 12:13, 26-27; Colossians 3:15), and receive comfort through Him. We can come together and pray, offer help to those in need, and most importantly look to God for wisdom and deliverance (1 Corinthians 2:9-11).