2 Corinthians 1:3-4: 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, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, through the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
A theme of 2 Corinthians is the suffering the apostle Paul faced as a faithful servant of Christ’s. In the opening verses of the epistle, the apostle stressed the One who supplied him strength to endure fiery trials.
The phrase “God of all comfort” shows some things about Paul’s character, but it foremost demonstrates the character of God. His character provides great reason for faithful Christians to lean on Him, especially through trials.
For instance, when faced with trials, faithful Christians can take comfort in the fact that God is all-seeing (Heb. 4:13).
To the hypocrite, God’s “all-seeing eye” is frightening. God is fully aware of every action, word, and thought of the one whose faith is insincere.
To the faithful child of God, though, God’s all-seeing eye is comforting. God knows everything we face, and He knows the efforts of those who genuinely surrender all to Him.
This principle is demonstrated in Revelation 2 and 3. These chapters contain seven sections, each of which directly addresses one of the seven churches the book of Revelation was written to (Rev. 1:11). A phrase that is spoken to each of the seven churches is “I know” (Rev. 2:2; 2:9; 2:13; 2:19; 3:1; 3:8; 3:15).
While the Lord’s knowledge included the sins many of the Christians in these churches were guilty of, it also included knowledge of the sincere faith among some (Rev. 2:9; 3:4), and the sufferings they faced (Rev. 2:9-10). The Lord understood fully what was going on.
God not only perfectly understands though, but He also perfectly cares. 1 Peter 5:7 says “casting all your worries on Him, because He cares for you.”
It is amazing to consider that the Creator of this world allows us to cast our anxiety on Him. It is even more striking, though, that He wants us to do this because He cares for us. What can be more comforting for the faithful Christian than to know that our Almighty God cares about us and wants us to let Him know what we are struggling with?
Our all-seeing and caring God is also perfectly faithful. He can be trusted because He is perfectly trustworthy.
“God is faithful” to ensure that no temptation is unbearable for us. He faithfully provides a “way of escape” with every temptation (1 Cor. 10:13).
God’s faithfulness is the foundation of the Christian’s hope, as it assures that the righteous will be raised to eternal life in heaven (Titus 1:2).
The perfect faithfulness of God also assures that He is always available to hear the prayers of any one of His faithful children, and that He will answer in perfect harmony with His divine wisdom.
When faced with any difficulty, it is nice to be able to speak to someone who understands, cares, and can be depended upon to help. No one understands as well as God. No one cares as much as He does. No one is as faithful as Him.
When God’s obedient children consider these and other truths about His character, the phrase “God of all comfort” resonates deeply. Because of who He is, the faithful Christian’s reaction to trials is far different from the world’s.
The faithful Christian is able to have a deep sense of joy (Phil. 4:4), a peace that “surpasses all understanding” (Phil. 4:7) and contentment (Phil. 4:11-12), even in the midst of severe trials.
Faithful Christians have spiritual riches that far outweigh anything the world can offer. This is what God offers for any who choose to come to Him on His terms. While all are going to face sad times, there is at the same time a deep sense of comfort for the obedient child of God.
In good times and bad, faithful Christians can lean upon One who is the “God of all comfort.”
– Michael Hickox