1 Thessalonians 4:15-18

“15. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.

16. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

17. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

18. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”

There is comfort in knowing that this present world is not all there is. It is reassuring knowing that everything we go through in this world is for a reason, that there is a purpose to the pain and suffering. This knowledge also helps us to better appreciate the good and happy times we have as well. We have a comfort in everything and at all times that the world can’t take away, nor the cares of life can diminish. That comfort is knowing that I am on God’s mind and that he is making preparations for me.

Comfort by definition is a state of physical ease and freedom from pain or constraint. The easing or alleviation of a person’s feelings of grief or distress. Console.

The comforter is a person or thing that provides consolation. The Holy Spirit.

This comfort allows me to keep my head up, no matter the situation or circumstance. This comfort even allows to to face hardship as a soldier. A soldier’s goal is to conquer, to gain ground or hold fast. Never to retreat. To retreat means that you acknowledge your defeat. God has made us to be victorious and always causes us to triumph.

But we all face times when we lose sight of who we are and to whom we belong. In those instances, the body of Christ needs to be there for one another to offer (remind) each other this same comfort. We need each other. Our father requires that the strong encourage (and even carry if necessary) the weak. There are times when the intensity of a situation is extremely high. But we still are able to stand because our brethren are there with comfort. Eventually you will regain your strength and will be able to offer comfort to someone else.

Be strong and have a blessed day.

Praise to the God of All Comfort

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 NIV

“3. Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort,

4. who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.”

The scriptures say “it is better to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35). This attitude of giving should be a hallmark of every believer. But I also ant to expand on that attitude of giving. God desires to give to his children, he wants to give us his spirit, his peace, his love, etc. So we, his children, must learn to receive from God with the same attitude of giving.

We receive from God so that we can give it out again to those who come across our path. We must be willing to share what we have. Most of the time this giving does not translate into dollars (although sometimes it does). It will always involve your time. We must take time to reach out to people. A simple smile goes a long way. Sharing the comfort of the word of God to those who are grieving or mourning. When words are not sufficient, a hug and your prayers will work wonders.

God gives to us with the expectation that we will keep it going by giving to others. We as believers do not have the privilege of being afraid to speak to people. God does not have coward soldiers. He does endow us with a spirit of boldness to do his will effectively. We must trust God enough to step out on faith to do his will.

Have a blessed day.