II Corinthians 1:4 “Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; 4 Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.”
To “comfort” is to draw near with great concern and compassion and determination to help in times of distress. Those who “comfort” others help them and encourage them by persuading them to think on the Word of God, the Love of God, the Grace of God, the Mercy of God, and the Sovereign Power of God. In this passage it is God Himself Who “comforteth us in all our tribulation”; that is, with His Holy Spirit, He directly communicates Himself to us in our times of “tribulation”. No matter how vicious or cruel our adversaries may be, our Lord is able to “comfort” us: “I, even I, am he that comforteth you: who art thou, that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall die, and of the son of man which shall be made as grass;” (Isaiah 51:12). In a world that is often hostile and cold hearted, our Lord comes to us and “comforteth” us much like a tender-loving mother would “comfort” her little children: “As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you; and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem.” (Isaiah 66:13). Let us pray for “comfort” from our Lord “that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God”! If we will spend more time comforting one another, we will be comforted ourselves and not be so distressed by “our” own “tribulation”.