"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..." (2 Corinthians 1:3-4 NASB)
The Creator of all things has many titles, many names, many qualities which compel our adoration. Some of them come as no surprise, like "God Almighty" (El Shaddai) or "Lord" (Adonai). Of course He has all power and all authority! We can see His immeasurable power through the created world. But it may come a surprise to learn that He is also the God of all comfort. He is a comforter by nature, not just 'up there' in the heavens, ruling over galaxies and orchestrating the universe. But 'down here' with us in our grief, caring for our hearts and gently leading our lives.
Every person knows what it's like to need comfort. We have all experienced deprivation and the unsettling sensations that follow. But then help came. We were cold and the blanket warmed. We were lonely and the friend called. We cried and the parent consoled. Sadly, many also know what it means to be left feeling uncomforted. But even when all other comforters fail, God's comfort will never fail. If we will just draw near to Him, as surely as the sun rises He will draw near to us. Like the blanket that warms, like the friend that stays, and like the parent that consoles, God wants to comfort us in the areas we need it most, in the places of greatest pain. There is no comfort like the comfort of God and there is no one who can comfort us as perfectly as God. Let your heart think on these reasons why:
God is near.
There is no person as close to you and constantly present as your Heavenly Father. As a follower of Jesus, His Spirit dwells within you, never to leave or forsake you. It is hard to comfort from a distance, but God can comfort you so well because He is so close. Not just some of the time, but all of the time. Not just on your good days, but on your worst days. Truly, you are never alone, for "He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever abandon you'" (Hebrews 13:5).
God sees.
There is no person who knows the depths of your heart and the details of your struggles like our Lord Jesus. It is hard to comfort someone you don't know, whose problems you don't understand. But Christ can comfort you so perfectly because He knows every detail of your life. He understands all the reasons you suffer, all the emotions you feel, and all the problems you face. He understands them even better than you do! He sees every molecule of your body, every neuron of your brain. He understands every detail of disorder and every ounce of pain. Do you know that as His disciple, He has made it His business to know you intimately? He sees all that you are going through and He knows exactly how you feel. You can say with the Psalmist, "Lord, You have searched me and known me...and are acquainted with all my ways." (Psalm 139:1,3).
God cares.
Not only is God constantly near, and not only does He see and understand everything you suffer, He also cares deeply with an infinite capacity to love you. Our closest friends and companions may care, and for that we thank God. But even their ability to empathize has limits. They have other concerns that need tending. They are finite and distracted just as we are. Not so with our Heavenly Father. He cares for you with a depth of love that the deepest ocean could not surpass. Look to the sky! Gaze at the stars! "For as high as the heavens are above the earth, So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him." (Psalm 103:11).
It is hard to comfort someone you don't truly care for. But God can comfort you so powerfully because He cares so deeply. You may not understand why you must suffer, or why God would allow such calamity to befall you. But one thing you can know absolutely is that God cares.
God acts.
God also acts on your behalf and does something about your suffering. Sometimes a well-meaning person says to a sufferer, 'I wish you the best' but does nothing to offer tangible help. It is hard to comfort someone you are unwilling to sacrifice for, but God can comfort us so completely because His love is not mere talk, not well-wishes, but concrete action. Nowhere has He proven His willingness to sacrifice for our comfort more than through the cross of Jesus Christ. For consider that "He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?" (Romans 8:32).
God may not always comfort you in the way you wish He would, but that is not because He is a reluctant giver of comfort. We can trust He will always act in our best interest to bring the comfort we most need and that will produce the most lasting joy. In our suffering God is not idle, He is working. He is doing something good. Even if it feels like life has unraveled and all is lost, God is acting on your behalf believer. He's got your back.
Go to the comforter.
At your lowest moments, when the pain of your loss is unbearable, remember who God is. He wants to comfort you in ALL your affliction. You can go to Him for comfort! You can pour out your heart to Him and tell Him your pain! You don't need to numb your troubles through empty comforts that cannot help. Let God be your source of strength, rest, peace and safety.
There is no one more near to you today than God. There is no one who understands you better than God. There is no one who cares for you more deeply than God. And there is no one who is as willing and able to act on your behalf as God. He truly is the God of all comfort.
