LIVESTREAM HERE

Sweet Comfort in Affliction

Trials are difficult to navigate. Suffering is extremely trying. Hardship is pointedly painful. Persecution can play sneaky tricks on your mind. In the midst of tough times it's easy to spin into a spiritual vertigo. It feels like it's impossible to get your compass calibrated. It's tough to hold onto truth in those moments. That's when we need each other to help in a big way. Often, God uses words of comfort and encouragement to bolster us. In that context I have some words for you, designed to encourage your heart and help you today. And remember this, my words may help you, but God's Word can change you.

The cross and the empty tomb of Jesus are the magnificent revealing of God's love for you ("In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his son to be the propitiation for our sins." 1 John 4:9-10). Your greatest comfort should come because you know that Jesus is always with you (Matt. 28:20 "And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."). And that due to the suffering death and victorious resurrection of Jesus, the cross and the empty tomb, that someday all your suffering will cease once and for all ("He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away." Rev. 21:4).

You can be sure that God is holding you up ("God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." Ps. 46:1). Jesus is your adequacy ("Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God" 2 Cor. 3:5) and full sufficiency ("But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.'"). He does amazing things. As Job 5:6-9 says "For affliction does not come from the dust, nor does trouble sprout from the ground, but man is born to trouble as the sparks fly upward. As for me, I would seek God, and to God would I commit my cause, who does great things and unsearchable, marvelous things without number…"

I want to encourage your heart. In Christ you can rest assured that God's purpose to glorify Himself and bring many sons and daughters to glory will be fulfilled. He will accomplish what concerns you today and for eternity. In the middle of whatever you were going through, know that you are blessed in Christ today my friend. Jesus loves you!

"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 Cor. 1:3-5

---

All praise to the Lord Jesus Christ. I have been saved by sovereign grace alone, through the gift of faith alone, in Christ alone, as revealed in Scripture alone, for God's glory alone.

Leave a Comment

Comments for this post have been disabled.