The God of All Comfort

Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; 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. I Cor 1: 3,4

The vital question that a suffering person asks is, why am I going through this pain?

My family is not immune. We are suffering right now with my dad in the hospital for open-heart surgery. Many of us have been asking why.

Dad has strong faith. He believes God. He believes that God is sovereign, and that God keeps His promises. Even though he has strong faith, he questions God's will. God knows we can little afford a hospital bill, and it will be difficult with Dad unable to work.

I think we all realize that God does not always work the way we think He should. He does what is right and true, but in His own way. His purposes and ours do not always merge. For one example, look at the life of the apostle Paul.

Could anyone say that Paul was not a servant of God? Still, he suffered. Paul told the Corinthians that his suffering allowed him to accept God's comfort. After he had been comforted, he was then able to comfort others who were also suffering.

Some of us find it simple to show love and concern to others. On the other hand, we find it infinitely harder to accept the same. We also find it hard to truly sympathize with the pain of others. Through suffering, we become better able both to give and accept charity.

God is good, and through his teaching, I am learning to accept His comfort. I am grateful for His care, and also for the care shown by His people. Through the hands of frail humans the love of God is spread abroad. Though I do not understand perfectly, I trust Him.