We’ve got this picture of division, affliction, of suffering, of pain, of hurt in this world, with which we are all familiar with in varying degrees. For the majority of my life, I have been kept from major pain and suffering until February of this year when I lost my mom, what an unfortunate experience!
The void, the pain, the hurt and then there is grief! Grieving is like a hungry wild beast eating the flesh and soul, but I’m not alone in my pain and suffering. There is this family I meet while in Brazil not too long ago who is going through severe afflictions right now. They lost the mother, grandma, and a son at the same time, and the dad has terminal cancer!
Can you imagine the pain and hurt, shock and despair?
These unpleasant events and many more make us think about reality, which includes hardships in our emotional, mental, financial and relational life.
Maybe some of you are walking through it right now.
We live in a world where affliction is real, but the Bible in 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 states, “All praise goes to God, Father of our Lord Jesus, the Anointed One. He is the Father of compassion, the God of all comfort. He consoles us as we endure the pain and hardship of life so that we may draw from His comfort and share it with others in their own struggles.” (The Voice Bible Translation) reminds us that comfort is also real.
We have a God who gives comfort in affliction, and He calls us to comfort others as we have been comforted by God himself.
We have a God who gives comfort in affliction.
He is the father of mercies and the God of all comfort. That’s his name. Our God is the Father of mercies, and he comforts us in our affliction.
Have you been comforted by God during this pandemic?
Have you been comforted by God during the most challenging times of your life?
Hear the good news of the Bible in this passage. When we walk through affliction, God is not distant from us. God is not far from us. God is with us. He comforts us in our affliction.
When I meet that Brazilian family all I was thinking was “I want to comfort them in every way I can.” And to know that this is how God sees us in our affliction, that he comes to comfort us in our affliction brings peace in my heart and my life.
If you’re feeling afflicted right now; going through troubling circumstances or events that bring about intense distress … or the inward emotion of anguish or deep distress itself, the place to get comfort starts always with God.
Humanity has tried artificial means to obtain comfort. We have tried to find comfort in personal improvement, romantic relationships, friendships, chemical substances, material things and philosophical ideologies. We have found that they often fails us but, as Christians, we need to turn to God in our affliction and remember who He is. The God of all comfort.
Are you experiencing inner distress as a result of harsh outward circumstances? If so, the Apostle Paul is saying that your situation requires God’s comfort!
If you are in need of God’s comfort today, I would encourage you to seek His presence (through Bible reading, prayer or singing songs of worship), remember His promises, and reach out to His people (join a church). God has comforted someone so that you would be comforted by them.
Acknowledge what you are feeling to God, Christian friends or family members. Ask them to pray with you and to journey alongside you.
Whatever affliction you’re going through, if your trust is in God, He will comfort you. He will give you encouragement, peace, and the strength to endure the challenges you are facing, automatically making you an overcomer, victor, champ … over your hardship and struggles.
God will comfort you in your affliction, trust Him.
