In the past six months God has been talking to me about His comfort. There are times in our lives when we are struggling to find peace in the midst of a difficult situation. Our heart longs for a deeper connection and we try to fill that longing with comfort from the people around us, but people are not able to meet those deep desires of our heart. God wants to be our answer and the fulfilment of our desires.
I will shake all the nations, and the one whom all the nations desire will come. Then I will fill this house with glory, says the LORD of Armies. Haggai 2:7 GW
I am He who comforts you. Isaiah 51:12 NASB
God wants to be our comfort because the truth is, He is our comfort. I often wonder why we do not always seek God’s comfort before we seek out the comfort of people. Yes, God will send people to comfort us. And we are not to live alone from other people. Yet there are areas of our heart where we do not know how to allow God’s comfort in.
This is something to do with trust, knowing that if we open our hearts to God, He will not destroy the last shred of hope that we have. But He promises us that He will not quench out the smallest part of our heart.
A bruised reed He will not break, and a smoldering wick He will not quench, until He leads justice to victory. Matthew 12:20 BLB
The sacrifice pleasing to God is a broken spirit. God, You will not despise a broken and humbled heart. Psalm 51:17 HCSB
He is humble and gentle towards us. He will heal us and give us rest.
Then Jesus said, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Matthew 11:28-29 NLT
He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. Psalm 147:3 ESV
In difficult situations, our hearts yearn for someone to love, comfort and soothe us. In the world, people will use many different things such as relationships, food, alcohol, social media, drugs, beauty surgery, online gaming, and other addictive behaviours to try to comfort their hearts. But as God’s sons and daughters, anything which takes the place of relationship with God has become an idol in our hearts.
Give me a sign of your goodness… for you, O LORD, have helped me and comforted me. Psalm 86:17 NIV
Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal comfort and a wonderful hope, comfort you and strengthen you in every good thing you do and say. 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 NLT
So how do we receive our comfort from God?
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Matthew 5:4 NIV
I was surprised when God showed me this door to His comfort! Mourning is what opens our heart to be comforted. It is not the kind of mourning where we sit in our rooms and cry from self-pity. Rather this is the mourning where we sit in our rooms and invite the Comforter Himself to come and sit with us as we pour out our hearts in tears.
But the Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, Standby), the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in My name [in My place, to represent Me and act on My behalf]. John 14:26 AMPC
We and allow the depth of emotion in our hearts to come forth. This is deep calling out from within us to the deep heart of the Father.
Deep calls to deep at the [thundering] sound of Your waterfalls; all Your breakers and Your waves have rolled over me. Psalm 42:7 AMP
God’s comfort is there for us when we are filled with doubts about what God has for us.
When doubts filled my mind, your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer. Psalm 94:19 NLT
The truth is, no matter how difficult and unclear things appear to be and we are threatened with death, we have God’s comfort with us.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. Psalm 23:4 ESV
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. For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. 2 Corinthians 1:3-5 ESV
Now we see a beautiful transference here from our receiving the comfort from God, to our becoming God’s comfort for others.
The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me… to comfort all who mourn, to grant those who mourn in Zion, giving them a garland instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting. Isaiah 61:1-3 NASB
One beautiful, but overlooked part of giving comfort is knowing how and when to mourn with others when they are going through a difficult time.
Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Romans 12:15 NIV
God has given us comfort so we can mourn with others and see them receive God’s comfort.
Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Isaiah 40:1 NIV
God is asking us to bring Holy Spirit, the Comforter, who is dwelling within us out to comfort others.