You see this topic, and you groan, because it does not appear that God comforts you or is interested in doing so. There is no doubt that you are going through stuff – loss of your job, loss of your dream, a life partner, or a child. And yet, the grief continues even as you pray often for relief. God does not seem to listen. You wonder. Wonder no more; it is because you do not know the purpose of comfort.
Yes, God promised that the Holy Spirit would comfort us in John 14:16. There, in the King James Version, God declares, “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever.” Yet, it is hard for you to recall the last time you felt or received a wind of comfort blowing toward you from God.
It bothers you that you are not part of this particular promise. If that is the case, you need to pay attention as we delve deeper into why that is so. We find the reason in 2 Corinthians 1:3-4. Despite lacking the word “if” as in previous promises, this passage contains the purpose of comfort. The trigger is right there, if we pay close attention.
The passage reads: “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 tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”
The Purpose of Comfort Is To Comfort Others
You have not received any comfort from God lately. Reading the above verse should give you the reason why. When was the last time you spoke comforting words to others? You cannot remember? Because it was so long ago? Well then, do not expect God to comfort you since you do not know the purpose of comfort.
Why should God comfort someone who would not pass it on to others in their grief? He looks for the believer whose comfort will bless others and comforts them. God bypasses the one who hoards the comfort of the past. You see, that is a basic trigger of God’s promises.
Think of the parable of the talents. God gave you a bit of comfort. You hoarded it, refusing to use it for the blessing of others. Like the servant who received one talent, God takes even that one from him because he hoarded it. The purpose of comfort is that you must share it; otherwise, God takes it from you. The parable of the talents is just that, a parable that you can apply to other scenarios.
Do you want joy? Take a portion of whatever joy you have and share it with others. You do not even have to be a Christian to know that “joy shared is joy multiplied.” It is an ordinary English adage. Of course, it is possible they borrowed it from the Bible.
If you are grieving and have not received any comfort from God, learn the purpose of comfort. Look for someone who is sorrowing and share something comforting with them. If all you have are words, share those. Perhaps you are a prayer warrior; pray with them. You might even bring a small gift to comfort them in their sorrow.
Do Not Be Like The Dead Sea
Then watch as God rewards you for learning and practicing the purpose of comfort. He is the God of all comfort and comforts us so that we may be able to comfort others. Read that passage again and see how many times the word comfort appears. If you are not receiving comfort from God, it is not because God does not want to comfort you. It is because you are yet to learn the purpose of comfort, or, indeed, the reason for any blessing.
The Dead Sea did not understand the reason God sent water to its basin. It hoarded it. You know the rest of the story. It started dying until death became part of its name – the Dead Sea. We must not be like that, and we shall not be so once we learn the purpose of comfort, of peace, of health, etc.
I have discovered that God gives me what I give away, even material things. We cannot outgive God. Learn the purpose of comfort today and ask for forgiveness for having hoarded comfort in the past. Expect God to comfort you as a result of your prayer. Then, go out and share that comfort with somebody.
That would be your demonstration to God that you now know the purpose of comfort. If you never stop comforting others, the flow of comfort will never cease in your life. That is a powerful trigger. Start today and watch how God responds. He is the God of all comfort, as we see in 2 Corinthians 1:3.
Maranatha!
