“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 Corinthians 1:3–4 ESV)
There I lay, motionless in bed with bright lights shining above, a mask of oxygen blowing in my face, lack of strength causing my body to lay still, gripped by the after effects of anesthesia and nausea taking up residence in my body. This was the day following the biggest surgery of my life and it left me in a place that we all have been at some point: helpless, hurting, discouraged and needing comfort.
What gives a story its power is the personal experience that flows through it. Much like a river that bends around the banks of a shore and rages through the course set before it, so does a story flow through the banks of life. The apostle Paul tells us his story in the book of 2 Corinthians. Some scholars call this a tearful letter because it is filled with pain and turmoil. It is the story of an experience of severe suffering caused by those that should have been lifting up and encouraging Paul. What should have been a place of safety was a place of strife. Where healing should have abounded, wounds were inflicted. For Paul, the difficulty he experienced came through his encounters with the Corinthian Church.
Rather than run and hide from the problem, Paul found strength in the transforming power of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Paul sought comfort in the midst of his trial in one who suffered like you and I suffer, who knows exactly what we are going through because he was tempted in the same way (Hebrews 4:15), that person being Jesus himself. Paul found comfort in someone outside himself and rested in the arms of God, whom he called, “the God of all comfort.”
What a cliché statement for some as they read these words. We scoff and say, “there is no way God is the God of all comfort when there is so much suffering in this world.” There is death, war, famine, hunger, poverty, orphans, rape, fatherless homes, fighting, divorce, bullying and and endless pain that causes us to throw our hands up in the air and cry out, “Where’s your comfort?” This is especially the cry of the world that turns its back to God because he didn’t show up in our greatest hour of need and so we conclude he doesn’t exist. Or does he?
Relate to Paul’s story for a moment if you can. He cared genuinely for his dear friends. These people were lost in their ways and Paul led them to the way of Christ. When Paul wanted to visit with his precious friends, something unexpected kept him from going to them. This caused anger and hostility within this group of friends. They chose to insult Paul, hurt his feelings and accuse him of lying. The attitude and words that Paul endured from the Corinthian church were painful and yet he uttered the words, “the God of all comfort.”
As I mentioned on the about page, one of the goals of this website is to draw your attention to various promises in Scripture, to fill your soul bank with deposits of truth that you can rely on heavily in order to glorify God in your life and receive joy as a Christ follower. The first promise that we run across in 2 Corinthians is simply what Paul states to be fact, that God is the God of all comfort.
God as the God of all comfort is such a truthful reality for Paul; he wove it through this letter time and time again. Therefore it begs us to ask the question of what Paul sees in God causing him to find comfort in God. Three quick points can easily be deduced, 1) Paul sees God for who he is, 2) Paul sees God for what he does, and 3) Paul sees God’s goal as giving comfort.
Paul Sees God for Who He Is
We must start here, not just because Paul did but because it will prevent us from putting God in a box and making him out to be someone other than who he truly is. So, he identifies God as “Father.” An intimate expression that only a child can make. However, what is most beautiful about this picture is that Paul identifies God as the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. He brings to the surface the Father-Son relationship that is necessary to see before moving forward to talk about mercy and comfort. For without Christ, there is no comfort at all. Without this intimate and spiritual relationship our lives are like tires spinning in mud, making little progress digging deeper into a hole. Paul undersood this all too well on a personal level and how his relationship with Jesus was truly transformational. In fact, what is implied here in these few words is that we are in this same “father-son” relationship and receive the full benefits it offers. Prior to Paul’s conversion on the road to Damascus (Acts 9), he opposed the true mission of God. He set out to squash the message of Jesus by arresting Christians, throwing them in prison and persecuting them. It was not until he received the Holy Spirit that he understood who he was in Christ, an adopted Son of God. I am tenderly mindful that many struggle with the image of a father figure because of neglect, abuse or many other reasons. The image and truth of a heavenly Father is perfect and filled with a love that is pure. Paul knew that he could rely on God the Father as Jesus did because of what he had already done for Paul, adopting him as a son and bringing him into the family! It is his “Abba, Father” that he spoke of in these beautiful words (Romans 8:15; Galatians 4:6).
But this is not the only description that Paul gave for understanding God. He furthermore called God the God of all mercies and comfort. His desire is that the Corinthian church and everyone who reads this letter understand that God in fact cares and displays concern over your misfortune (mercy) and lifts you (comfort). This description of a merciful and comforting God contends the picture of a God who enjoys or causes suffering. Some deduce that if God is a loving God, then he would naturally stop all suffering in the world. But since suffering does exists, then God must not love. This is not only illogical; it is unfounded when understood in the context of God’s merciful gift and comfort. Typically these conclusions are drawn outside of faith and a relationship with God where he is in a box and when he doesn’t perform in a favorable way, then the towel is thrown in on God. But for God’s children, mercy and comfort are a gift that a Father gives to his children, not to those who are outside the family. And so God showers mercy and comfort upon true believers in Jesus Christ. As a child of God, you are an heir of all that belongs to Him and you are empowered by the Holy Spirit to live a life filled with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. And you have full access to the throne of grace, to sit at the feet of mercy and be comforted by the God of all comfort.
God’s qualities are not something that he intends to hide from his children. In fact, this is a promise given to his children that allows them not to fear or worry. But that we faithfully set our eyes upon him who loved us so much that he sent his one and only son to die in our place on the cross so that we may experience the wonderful grace, mercy and love offered of a father to his children. In “The God of All Comfort, Part 2″ we will look at the last two points that Paul makes to begin his story to the Corinthians. Remember this promise always…”God is the God of all comfort.” Hold fast to this truth!