“Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of all mercies, and the God of all comfort.” 2 Corinthians 1:3
Dear Ones:
From the moment that man first sinned against God, there was the fulfillment of the words of God: “…for in the day that you eat of it (the tree of the knowledge of good and evil), you shall surely die.” (Gen. 2:17) What happened in that moment? The spiritual LIFE, the very LIFE by the Spirit, was removed, separated from the soul of man. That Eternal Life which was so blessed and fulfilling, no longer dwelt in the heart. The experience of spiritual darkness began to set in, manifested by the downward trend of the twisted and false concepts of God. Those tainted “ideas” of God drove man to fear and to hide from God. The self-centeredness of man began to dominate his whole perspective. With this “cancer” of defiance, and rebellion against the true knowledge of God, man began the experience of self worship, LIFELESS occupation with the things of the creation rather than with the Creator.
The ramifications of Adam’s sin immediately began to manifest themselves, from the cursed land to the murder of one of his sons. However, in the context of this sorrow and suffering comes the blessed Eternal Comforter. His is a comfort of soul, mind, heart, spirit and body, that comes in all of its beauty and power from heaven itself, from the very throne of God by the Spirit. He IS the God of ALL comfort, and as the Apostle Paul writes: “…who comforts us in ALL our tribulation (affliction, suffering). (2 Cor. 1:4) Who could ever comfort the soul of a man, if not the God who created and understands him?
What does it mean to BE comforted by God? It has been said: “Our hearts are restless until they find their rest in Thee.” This “rest” is contrasted in Scripture by “warfare,” our natural resistance, and opposition to God. There is an ongoing ENMITY between the unbeliever and God, and that animosity results in suffering. Not only is there a natural resistance to God, but there is the conscious, or unconscious, rejection of the overtures of His goodness. When man could know the peace and joy of Christ, he knows only that ephemeral “peace” of the world, which is circumstantial. Man’s joys consist in that which he can enjoy from a natural standpoint, and thus, are passing away. However, the joy of Christ, which is eternal and which will not be taken away from the believer, can be known by faith in Christ. To be comforted BY God is to be brought into conformity with God, with Christ, knowing His mind, His heart by His Spirit. It is the experience of His peace, and Eternal Love, which is the greatest comfort of all.
Dear Father, in this world of turmoil and unrest, where the wickedness of man is held in check only by the laws that he chooses to accept, give us to know Your rule over us. Grant us to KNOW, that as your kingdom and reign increases in our hearts, so will your ever-deepening peace. Be our Comfort and Strength this day by Your Spirit. And enable us to so abide in Christ, that we may comfort others with the comfort that You give. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Love, Dad