In the Word: God of All Comforts

Welcome to Hope Mommies In the Word devotionals. Over the next several weeks, we will be meditating on 2 Corinthians 1:3-11. As we study the truths found in these verses together, we’d love you to use the comments as a place to dialogue with us about what you are learning and share your answers to the questions below. We pray that you hearts will be encouraged as you dig into God’s Word each week with us!

“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 1:3-4a

READ:

It’s often noted that God is with us in our adversities, that He is present in our times of despair, and that He is near in our grief. But it bears noting how God is present—in what manner and according to what characteristics. How does He want us to think about His presence with us when we are afflicted? In 2 Corinthians 1:3, we learn that “the God of all comfort”—of immeasurable comfort—is near to us.

The book of Isaiah in the Old Testament has sometimes been called the fifth gospel because it is full of promises about Jesus. We see the rich theme of the comfort of God strung throughout this book:

• Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. (Isaiah 40:1)
• Sing for joy, O heavens, and exult, O earth; break forth, O mountains, into singing! For the LORD has comforted his people and will have compassion on his afflicted. (Isaiah 49:13)
• For the LORD comforts Zion; he comforts all her waste places and makes her wilderness like Eden, her desert like the garden of the LORD; joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the voice of song. (Isaiah 51:3)
• I, I am he who comforts you; (Isaiah 51:12a)
• The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me . . .  to comfort all who mourn; (Isaiah 61:1a, 2b)
• As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you; you shall be comforted in Jerusalem. (Isaiah 66:13)

God’s comfort flows from who Jesus is and what He is doing in the world—and what He is doing in our lives. When we are dry, desolate, and in a wasteland, He ministers His own comfort to our souls.

Grief can make us think that God is angry with us or that He is far away. The reality of sin in our lives can make us revert into thinking that God is against us or opposed to us in some way. But the truth is that God is drawing near to us in Jesus Christ, who has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows. Don’t mistake what God is doing in your life; His Word says that He is drawing near with comfort. This is the presence of God for you, friends.

REFLECT:

1. The Apostle Paul, who wrote the “God of all comfort” phrase, was in many scenarios in which he needed the comfort of God. Read 2 Corinthians 1:8-10; 2 Corinthians 2:12-13; and 2 Corinthians 7:5-6. Note what Paul faced and what He said about God. What does it mean to you that God has promised to be a comforter in your life?
2. One commentator, David Garland, notes that comfort has lost some of its power as a word in modern English. The word comfort is “closely connected with its root, the Latin fortis, which means brave, strong, courageous.” How does this compare with your conceptualization of comfort, and what does this mean for you, in your grief?

Lianna is author of Made for a Different Land: Eternal Hope for Baby Loss (Hope Mommies, 2019). More of her writing can be found at her website.

We would be honored to share your story as a Hope Mom on our blog. On Saturdays we feature Hope Moms’ stories in order to showcase God’s faithfulness even in the midst of such deep sorrow. If you would like to have your story shared on our blog for this purpose, learn more and submit here.