 |
Visit the Walking In Truth Archives
|
|
Nothing Succeeds
Like Encouragement
The world offers transient joys which terminate at death and which cease when troubles come, sickness attacks, and friends and wealth depart. God offers something more substantial for His people.
Through sickness, poverty, bereavement, loss, and age - His blessings still endure. They remain throughout all the various changes of life. That is why they are called His '"everlasting consolations"(2 Thessalonians 2:16).
God's character is oftentimes revealed to us through His names.
2 Corinthians 1:3 refers to Him as "the Father of mercies" and "the God of all comfort." The word "Father" means originator or transmitter of anything. Hence, as "the Father of mercies," He is the author or source of all "mercies" or compassion and pity. As "the God of all comfort," He is the Fountain from whence each and every source of solace, encouragement, and consolation flows.
Someone once said - "Comfort is not an armchair. Comfort is God leading, feeding, reassuring, inspiring, heartening us." After all, He is "the God of all comfort." Any word of inspiration, motivation, and exhortation after a godly sort and alleviation of grief and anxiety which offers sweet relief - finds its way back to Him.
The Lord comforts His people. He comforts those who are cast down, in tribulation, or afflicted.
2 Corinthians 7:6 verifies this truth - "Nevertheless God, that comforteth those that are cast down..."
That word "comforteth" means to speak to, console, encourage, call to one's side. In other words, He draws near to offer "everlasting consolation" to all those who are depressed, anxious, and feeling humiliated at the time.
He -
...reveals Himself as the Great "I AM" to all those who are cast down - "I, even I, am He that comforteth you..."(Isaiah 51:12)
..."revives the spirit of the humble" and "the heart of the contrite ones"(Isaiah 57:15)
..."binds up the brokenhearted"(Isaiah 61:1)
..."comforts all that mourn"(Isaiah 61:2)
..."turns their mourning into joy" and "makes them rejoice from their sorrow"(Jeremiah 31:13)
..."causes" them "to always triumph in Christ"(2 Corinthians 2:14)
By His words, He -
...upholds all those who are falling and strengthens the feeble knees(Job 4:4)
...delivers from all fears(Psalm 34:4)
...raises up those that are bowed down(Psalm 146:8)
...satiates the weary and replenishes every sorrowful soul(Jeremiah 31:25)
...comforts His people on every side(Psalm 71:21) so that they may boldly declare - "I am filled with comfort"(2 Corinthians 7:4) and "Surely, I have found blessed consolation in Christ and comfort of love"(Philippians 2:1).
Besides those who are cast down, the Lord Jesus comforts all those in tribulation(2 Corinthians 1:4).
When there are pressures coming at us from all sides, anguish, trouble, heavy burdens to bear, persecution, oppression, affliction, distress, and straits, God is a "very present help"(Psalm 46:1) - bearing us up above, through, and in all our trials and difficulties.
It is while experiencing those various and sundry troubles that we find Him to be "full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth"(Psalm 86:15). His merciful kindness becomes our comfort(Psalm 119:76). He is our "arm every morning" and our "salvation... in the time of trouble"(Isaiah 33:2).
While in this world, the Scriptures tell us we shall have tribulation. Nevertheless, God comforts us through all of it by His Word - "...In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."(John 16:33)
He comforts His people. He is moved to pity and great compassion for them.
Isaiah 49:13 tells us that He has "mercy upon His afflicted." In other words, He loves deeply, has tender affection, shows mercy, and has great compassion for all those who are poor and needy, humble, weak, and depressed in mind or circumstances.
He considers our trouble and knows our souls in adversities(Psalm 31:7).
As a mother would comfort her child, so He consoles the afflicted ones(Isaiah 66:13).
Isaiah 51:3 offers a beautiful promise from the Lord to all those in need of solace - "For the LORD shall comfort Zion: He will comfort all her waste places; and He will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the LORD..." This is a sure promise for all of His children.
"For the LORD shall comfort Zion." He will have compassion on them...be moved to pity when He sees all their "waste places." These are the places of ruin, waste, desolation, drought, and decay. He will transform, fashion, and constitute all their "deserts" into plush lands of great growth and pleasure like Eden and and all their sterile valleys into enclosed and fenced gardens full of life and growth.
In closing, a Scottish preacher, Ian MacLaren, was asked what he would do differently if he had his preaching ministry to live over again. He replied - "I would comfort people more."
In 2 Thessalonians 2:17, Paul prayed for the Thessalonian believers that the Lord Jesus Who "hath given us everlasting consolation"(2 Thessalonians 2:16) would comfort their hearts and establish them in every good word and work. The Thessalonians were undergoing great trials and tribulation. Paul prayed for God's comfort. He understood that it is His comfort in the midst of trials which strengthens the believer and makes him stable, firm, steadfast, and fixed.
There is a saying that says - "Nothing succeeds like encouragement." No one understands this principle more than "the God of all comfort." That is why He says in Isaiah 40:1 - "Comfort ye, comfort ye, My people, saith your God" for the set time to favor her is come(Psalm 102:13).
Seek the Lord this day for comfort in all your tribulation.
Draw nigh to Him, and He will reveal Himself to you as the "God of all comfort."
May God Bless His Word.
Connie
| © COPYRIGHT Connie Giordano - All Rights Reserved
