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
To be human is to be a sufferer. It is unpleasant. It is unbiased. It is unavoidable. We will all experience hurts of varying intensities, frequencies and durations while we are in this broken world filled with broken people. While suffering is at times a result of our own sinfulness, it is also at times through no wrong-doing on our part that someone or something does us wrong. When something hurtful or hard is happening in our lives that we cannot escape or eliminate, we often turn to something in order to find comfort and cheer. Though binge-eating, day-dreaming, relaxing and other ways of coping might offer some temporary numbing when times are tough, we need something better. Because sooner or later, that numbness wears off, and the struggle is still there. What God offers us in Jesus is a real comfort that doesn’t wear off. It will out-last and out-match whatever hardships we must endure in our mission for Him, our journey with Him and our homecoming to Him. It’s an encouraging, strengthening, sustaining help from the very presence of God that doesn’t show up once the trial is over, but rather joins us right in the middle of it. Jesus comforts us because He knows what it’s like to endure affliction. He entered into our pain and brokenness by coming to earth to suffer for us and secure for us every comfort from God for our suffering both now and forever. But we will only experience this comfort that encourages us when we are teary and strengthens us when we are weary if we will stop looking to other helpers to do for us what only the Helper can do. Are you hurting today? Trust in and turn to Jesus for comfort. He will not walk away from you, but will walk with you to help you press on this very hour, and He will stay with you and get you through every test, trial and tribulation until He gets you home. Rest in the assurance of this truth: Jesus is for you now, and He will come for you soon.
