II Corinthians 1:3 “Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;”
Our Lord Jesus Christ made it very clear that “In the world ye shall have tribulation”; but, He also comforts us in the face of “tribulation” by telling us, “but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33); that is, our Lord has victorious power over those who would “trouble” us and over any “tribulation” that may lie in the path of our life. Paul worshipfully declares that “the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” is “the Father of mercies” and “the God of all comfort”! It is certain that, as long as we live in this “world”, we will have “tribulation”/“trouble”! It is even more so certain that our Heavenly “Father” is “the God of all comfort” to us. Our “tribulation”/“trouble” is manifold; health troubles, family troubles, financial troubles, legal troubles, sin troubles, mental illness troubles, etc. Yet, “the Father of mercies”, “the God of all comfort” “comforteth us in all our tribulation” (II Corinthians 1:4); notice that He “comforteth us in ALL our tribulation”; not just in the easy ones; but, “in all” of them no matter how severe they are, how complex they are, or how much power they seem to have over us. In this passage the word “comfort” means to draw near to help, console, deliver, instruct, and guide; much like a loving father who takes his troubled child in his arms and as he embraces his child, he whispers to him, I’ll take care of it. Often a loving father says to his child, yes you did wrong, but I love you anyway and then he lovingly teaches his child how to overcome and avoid future errors. If a human father will be so merciful to comfort his child, how much more will our Heavenly “Father” “comfort” us in our times of “trouble”. For, He loved us with such a “great love” (Ephesians 2:4) that He “sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him” (I John 4:9) and one blessed and holy day we will hear His voice Command, “Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (Matthew 25:34)! Let us daily, lift our eyes above our present troubles and worshipfully declare with Paul, “Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;”!