Comfort From Above

Comfort From Above

Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbShVMy0QWs

There have been many occasions when the Lord has spoken to my heart the need to comfort His people through messages that I preach. Sometimes I can get kind of deep when I talk about God and His word for our lives. And then I hear these words, which is what I’ve been hearing these past several weeks.

It comes from Isaiah 40, that says, “‘Comfort, yes, comfort My people!’ says your God” (Isaiah 40:1 NKJV)

And so, today I’d like to share with you a message I’ve entitled, “Comfort from Above.” But I also toyed with entitling it, “Heavenly Comfort,” or “Devine Comfort.”

Now, the Bible has a lot to say to us concerning the comfort given to us by God. And this is not without its significance, that is, my using God’s Word to reveal this, because God’s word comforts us when we’re going through it. In other words, God comforts us through His word.

In Psalm 119:49, the Psalmist said, “Remember the word to Your servant, upon which You have caused me to hope.” And now look at the comfort he receives from God’s word.

“This is my comfort in my affliction, for Your word has given me life.” (Psalm 119:50 NKJV)

Now, I like how the New American Standard Bible translates the latter half of this verse saying, “Your word has revived me” (Psalm 119:50 NASB)

The Bible is the only book, or for that matter, the only thing that we can read that brings comfort in times of difficulty. And that’s because it is within God’s word where God’s precious promises are revealed that bring consolation and comfort to our souls.

It is what the Apostle Paul said to those in Thessalonica and how they were to comfort one another with the words he spoke to those believers who had lost loved ones and not knowing if they would ever see them again, and what their ultimate fate would be.

“But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.” (1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 NKJV)

And then he gives us these words. “Therefore comfort one another with these words.” (1 Thessalonians 4:18 NKJV)

And what we see from God’s word is that it is the Lord and Him only that comforts us. And now we get to our signature verse, 2 Corinthians 1:3.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies (compassion) and God of all comfort” (2 Corinthians 1:3 NKJV)

The word used here for “mercies,” is the Greek word for compassion, that is, having deep feeling about someone’s difficulty or misfortune, and it is used of the deep feelings that God has for all of us, and then how He powerfully shows and shares these feelings to those who follow Him.

The word that is used for “compassion” is very telling and instructive because it refers to those emotions that come from deep within a person.

We see this in the compassion shown by Jesus to the mother of a young man who had died (Luke 7:13). Jesus felt the pain and anguish of that mother’s loss down in His guts and met her at her deepest need as He raise her son from the dead.

It also says that when Jesus saw the multitudes that He was moved with compassion. It said, “When He saw the crowds, He had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” (Matthew 9:36 NIV).

And here’s the really neat part, when Jesus gave them the support and guidance they needed, He gave them hope as well, that is, He gave them hope where it was lacking, and this comes from the word comfort.

The word “comfort” means to come along side someone to offer aid and give encouragement. It means to soothe, reassure, bring relief, strengthen, and to give hope. You might say that the word comfort is a word of relief, because it involves giving in times of distress, fear, tension, pain, uncertainty, and hopelessness.