The God of All Comfort
As God put us back together and makes us whole, he moves us to live in obedience and faith and courage.
“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 2:3-5).
We all know the need for comfort. We have felt it, ached for it even–comfort from grief, from fear, from loneliness, from pain. And we so regularly seek comfort from sources that aren’t lasting or deep, sources that serve more as a source of distraction or numbing than real, actual comfort that soothes and helps and heals. And all this gets us is into a spin cycle of need that moves us nowhere and exhausts our souls because we aren’t seeking true, deep, lasting comfort, the kind we can only find in God, through Christ.
God tells us in his word that he is the God of all comfort and that he gave us eternal comfort. This means there is no wound or sorrow or worry or fear or need he cannot comfort. Nothing is too deep, too complex, too scarred, too old, or too traumatic for him to comfort.
And he offers real comfort, comfort through his love as a perfect Father wrapping us up in his love. And he offers real comfort through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, covering our shame and guilt. And he offers real comfort of assurance because Jesus did not die to partially forgive or partially conquer–he sealed the deal and won the victory and made a way of salvation and eternal life. And he offers real comfort of presence with us, as the Holy Spirit dwells in us and works in us.
On top of all this, God offers ongoing comfort and undeniable reminders of his comfort through promises. He has given us specific words of hope and healing and help and assurance so that we can cling to them and hear his voice in timely and perfect ways.
As we receive his comfort, over time, it translates into transformation and action as he establishes us in every good work. As God put us back together and makes us whole, he moves us to live in obedience and faith and courage so that we are able to be conduits for the comfort of Christ to those who need it.
Women’s Retreat Deadline: Over 100 women are signed up for our women's retreat with Jani Ortlund next weekend, Sept. 27-28. There are plenty more spots, and the sign-up deadline to jump in is Monday, September 23. Don't miss out on this opportunity to learn and connect! Register for the women’s retreat here!
Men’s & Women’s Fellowship: Starting September 9th, men's and women’s fellowship kicks off at Immanuel! Every Monday from 7 pm to 8:30 pm, the women, led by Amy Cox, will gather in the cafe, and the men, led by Tony Shepherd, will gather in the gymnasium. We hope to see you there!