“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 WILL BE ABLE to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”- {2 Cor 1:3-4}.
How does God comfort the crushed? God comforts us with the knowledge of Himself, who He is and who we are in Him. Paul shows us and focusses on God as our Father. Grace comes from him. {v2}.Peace as a result of Him.{v2} The Mercies of God. We are told He is “great” in mercy. His “mercies” is new each morning as “Father of mercies,” He is the author and distributor and His mercies are endless for He is endless, having neither beginning or end. He focus’s on Our LORD, Jesus Christ. LORD speaks of His sovereignty, His Kingship, His ultimate authority over all. All things in subjection to Him. “Jesus” speaks of His humanity. He can identify with us as Hebrews 4 teaches He empathizes, which means “to feel the very feelings we feel.” “Christ,” speaks of His office, Prophet who spoke to us from God, Priest who intercedes for us, King, who rules and reigns supreme! And by His doing He has made us “saints!” The word means to “be set apart.” It is not something we “achieve,” through our own merit, but the gift of God where He sets us apart for Himself, and His purposes. It is a standing we have based on the sole merits of the Lord Jesus.”Saints!”- An easy wasy to remember is for each letter attach the word, “S- SET...A-APART...I-IN…T-THE…S-SAVIOR,… saints!
The God of all comfort. “ALL” there is no deficiency, no limit, no lack of grace, peace, mercies, comfort, He has a monopoly, unlimited resources at your disposal in your pain. Whatever you need, you have it all from Him, the God of all comfort, who comforts us in our affliction. The first thing in their pain, suffering, great pressures, crushing, he turns their attention to PRAISE God, His character, His provisions and it results in… PRAISING HIM, “The God of all comfort!” TO “Bless” Him, means “we speak well of Him, praise Him.” For Him who has “‘blessed” us, which means He has done good to us. We “speak well of Him, we bless, praise Him!
· Praise Him for His Grace towards you
· Praise Him for His Peace to you
· Praise Him, He has made you a saint- set apart by Him, for Him.{v1}
· Praise Him for He is your Father,
· Praise Him for His Mercies upon you
· Praise Him for His Comfort
· Praise Him for His Son, your LORD Jesus Christ
The response of the crushed is to “bless” Him. Praise Him. Speak well of Him! In his crushing, he turns the focus on the Person, to THINK on truth. Pain is temoral, the blessings eternal! Perspective in pain is not to deny it, but to choose to focus on Him, “The God of All Comfort, who comforts us in our afflcition!”
God comforts us with the knowledge of Himself and our blessings!
PRAISE HIM!