What Comfort? August 25, 2013 Vol. 2 No.15 After a week helping a friend during a difficult time in the hospital, I feel led to look at the Biblical perspective of trials and comforts. We all have those times when we don’t understand the things that go on in and around our lives. 2 Corinthians 1:3-5 declares, • “ Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; 4 Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. 5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.” Often God uses our circumstances to equip and train us to help others around us in their times of need. That seems a bit unfair to many but let’s think this through. Who has trouble? o Everyone!!!! o Ever since Eden we have lived in a fallen world and will experience trials and difficulties because of the fallen nature of our world, until the Savior returns to establish HIS OWN KINGDOM!!! But we can have a confidence and a perspective that the world can’t understand. As James 1:2-5 says, • “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; 3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. 4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.” • We are called to “count it all joy”, when we face the trials and temptations of life. • The word patience here is referring to “endurance”. Trials are a given in life, but when we walk with Christ we have the ability to • “Rejoice in the Lord alway, and again I say, Rejoice…” (Phil 4:4). • And Phil. 4:6-7 goes on to say, “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. • 7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” We are enabled by the Spirit of Christ to walk in confidence and joy no matter the circumstances. Why? Because Christ paid the price for our victory. Job 14:1 tells us that, • “Man that is born of a woman is of few days and full of trouble.” We are born into a broken world and Job reminds of this clearly but Job also reassures us that we can have confidence in the God who saves and keeps us. • Job 19:5 “For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:” • 1 Cor. 15:54-58 proclaims that coming “victory”, ” So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. 55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.” • OUR VICTORY IS IN JESUS….!!!! (That would make a marvelous song…) So how does this work out in all practicality? Well, simply but not necessarily easily. We must remember that God is sovereignly in charge. • He knows all, o sees all, • and controls all. • And even more importantly in application---I can trust HIM. • Psalm 73:1 declares that, “Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart.” And Psalm 143:10 says, “Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness.” Micah 6:8 also tells us that God will show us what is good for us to do/be, “He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God.” And Jesus himself tells us in Mark 10:18 “And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God.” God is “good”!! All the time!! So? • I have the “blood of Jesus that cleanses us from all sin”, • I have been “made the righteousness of God, in Christ Jesus”, • and I can be and do “all things through Christ which strengthens me”. I can have “victory” in Jesus. And because I have “victory” in Jesus as I go through each days trials and difficulties, I am enabled by God’s Spirit to not only receive that comfort/victory but to be that “comfort” to those who need God’s o comfort, o strength • and grace. How? Look at James 1:5 • “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given”!!! GOD has promised that if I’ll but ask for His wisdom-he will give it. In 2 Cor. 1:12 Paul tells us, • “For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward.” We are to seek and apply God’s wisdom to our own lives and circumstances and as we do God shows himself faithful to our needs and circumstances. We then learn to have confidence in Him, not with fleshly wisdom but with “God’s” wisdom. Producing a confidence that we can boldly share with others in their times of need. Right back to our beginning verses in 2 Cor. 1, • “Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God”. Our God -“the God of all comfort”…-- o the one who brings joy to my sadness, o strength to my weakness, • answers to my questions, • and as we talked last week, hope to any hopeless situation. I pray this will give you food for thought this week and that you will lean on your “God of all comfort”, and be a comfort to those around you. Let’s press on together for Jesus.
Posted on: Mon, 26 Aug 2013 02:53:49 +0000
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