God’s Comfort

God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us.

2 Corinthians 7:6

In one of his books, Herschel Ford tells about Bishop Hughes, the pastor of a Boston church with eight hundred members. About two years into his pastorate, Hughes was asked to preach a sermon on the subject of comfort. As he thought about it, he decided to see if such a sermon was really needed. Taking the church roll, he listed all the families who had suffered some grief or trouble during those two years, and he was astounded to find that 80 percent of his congregation needed this definite comfort.

The New Testament Epistles are full of promises regarding divine comfort. “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 tribulation,” says 2 Corinthians 1:3-4. Notice the double use of the word all. He is the God of all comfort who comforts us in all our tribulation. He is our all in all.

Life is unpredictable, and in every pew sits a broken heart. But God’s comfort is as certain as the rising sun, and just as enlightening and warming.

Sooner or later, sorrow comes to us all, but we have the Holy Spirit to comfort us in a way that is simply out of this world.

HERSCHEL FORD