Experiencicng God's Comfort in Order to Comfort Others

Written Aug. 31, 1999

Experiencing God's Comfort in

Order to Comfort Others

II Cor. 1:3-10

3 Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;

Lord, my body seems to be almost totally "whacked out" and in some ways worse than it has ever been before..But I BLESS You, God! Thank- You that I'm not experiencing ALL of my symptoms at once! Thank-You, Lord, for the peace amidst the storm! Thank-You for the "token for good" (Ps. 86:17) which You gave me the other day – the butterfly! And thank-You especially for the many Scriptures which have given me hope. Thank-You for sending words of comfort through friends and family!


These special verses to me this morning give HOPE.


"…for they shall not be ashamed that WAIT for me." (Is. 49:23)


"Therefore the redeemed of the LORD shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and mourning shall flee away. I, even I, am he that COMFORTETH You…" (Is. 51:11-12a)


Hallelujah! And You are reminding me just now of Your "word" to me a long time ago from Psalm 6, especially the last few verses. This is COMFORT for me, too! Thank-You for comforting me through all these verses again this morning! You are the God of ALL COMFORT!

Thank-You that You are the "Father of MERCIES." What a title! Surely You have "mercies" that I know nothing of yet. But it is true, You have truly been my "FATHER OF MERCY"!

4 Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.

Yes, Lord, You comfort me in various ways in ALL of my tribulations, especially through Your Word…THAT I might be able to comfort others when they are going through the same or similar trials. Your WORDS comfort me, and by Your grace I shall take these words which have meant SO MUCH to me and share them with others that they also might be comforted!

Lord, is this part of the reason why You have allowed my sickness – that my faith might be made stronger and that I might be able to comfort others that are sick? Your special words of comfort to me today are:


"Daughter, be of good comfort;" (Mt. 9:22a)

"Be not afraid, only believe." (Mk. 5:36)


5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.

The more I suffer for You, Lord – the more COMFORT You shall give me!

6 And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation.

Lord, can MY affliction – my sickness, really be for the comfort and salvation of others? Yes! The "comfort" You give me can be SHARED with others that THEY may be comforted in their sickness as well. If others have not an everlasting hope and peace, IF I joyfully ENDURE
with this environmental illness in their presence, my "light' could cause them to seek and find the Saviour, too. O Lord, give GRACE! I want my sickness to be EFFECTUAL! I want it to HELP others by bringing them COMFORT! I want to encourage them to ENDURE and suffer
joyfully also, for the glory of God, just as many others have been a special "LIGHT" for me. Thank-You, Lord, for their EXAMPLE of ENDURANCE – endurance with joy!

7 And our hope of you is stedfast, knowing, that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation.

Lord, there is a promise for me here! If I suffer with You, You promise to COMFORT me, too! There is an "intimacy factor". YOU truly understand for You have truly suffered far more than I have!

8 For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were PRESSED OUT OF MEASURE, above strength, in so much that we DESPAIRED EVEN OF LIFE.

Lord, YOU KNOW! I have lived this again and again this year! Just like Paul, I have been pressed and despairing - feeling like I didn't know whether I was going to live or die.

9 But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead:

"But"… Ah, the blessed "but"! By God's grace, I have the "sentence of death" – death to self and death to my wishes of physical life. "I am crucified with Christ.." (Gal. 2:20a) as Paul said. I cannot trust in myself or in anything I can do to stay alive. My HOPE is in God alone! He alone can keep me alive! He alone can raise the dead!



Psalm 33:18-22

18 Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear him, upon them the hope in his mercy;

19 To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine.

20 Our soul waiteth for the LORD: he is our help and our shield.

21 For our heart shall rejoice in him, because we have trusted in his holy name.

22 Let thy mercy, O LORD, be upon us, according as we hope in thee.



10 Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us;

Here is my comfort! Yes, Lord, You have brought COMFORT to me in my sufferings You have delivered me from death both physically and spiritually, and You are delivering me even now, and here is my promise for future – You will YET deliver me!

Jesus, "..through death (You)…destroyed him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; and DELIVER(ED) (ME) who through fear of death (was) all (my) lifetime subject to bondage." (Heb. 2:14b-15) Hallelujah! The promise is..YOU RAISE THE DEAD!