Lord’s Day, Vol. 7 No. 41
God Comforts the Downhearted
“…God, that comforteth those that are cast down…” 2 Corinthians 7:6
Are you cast down because of the distresses of life? There is comfort in God. He provides true comfort. Do we look for temporal escapes in eating and drinking or simply becoming very despondent blaming our closest loved ones?
The Apostle Paul was in much distress for the sake of the gospel advancing into Europe for the first time. He testified in 2 Corinthians 7:5 “For, when we were come into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but we were troubled on every side; without were fightings, within were fears.” He described his troubles to be overwhelming. He was physically and mentally exhausted. Yet, he declared that God is the comfort of the downhearted and depressed.
Why are we cast down? Is it from the overwhelming needs of the family expenses? Is it because we feel oppressed in our workplace? Is it because of some relationships that not seem to work no matter how hard we try? Is it because of sins in our lives? Have we struggled against sins and failed, and have decided to give in and give ourselves up to our sins? May we have the courage to come to our Lord.
The word “comfort” is a compound word in Greek “to call to the side of” meaning to aid, help, encourage.
There was a little girl who came home from a neighbour’s house where her little friend had died. “Why did you go?” questioned her father. “To comfort her mother,” said the child. “What could you do to comfort her?” “I climbed into her lap and cried with her.” God sent His only begotten Son to become flesh to demonstrate His love to redeem His saints.
When Jesus saw the sorrow in Mary’s heart because her brother Lazarus had died, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled (John 11:33) and Jesus wept (John 11:35). Then said the Jews, “Behold how he loved him!”(John 11:36) Dear friends, Jesus wrought a miracle to raise Lazarus from the dead to the joy and comfort of the sisters Mary and Martha.
When we look to God, we are comforted for He sends help for us in ways we cannot possibly imagine with our finite minds. For the Apostle Paul, God sent Titus to provide the needed comfort (2 Corinthians 7:5).How do we appropriate comfort from God?
First, we receive help from God by prayer through Jesus Christ the living Word. Secondly, we receive help from God by the comfort we receive in God’s Word, the written Word. When we pray and meditate on God’s Word, the Holy Spirit, the divine Comforter, will use the Word to show us God’s will. When we know God’s will for our lives, as a child of God, we receive the greatest comfort.
If we are down cast because of sins, may the Lord help us to quickly repent of our sins and receive His comfort. If we persist in our sins, God cannot hear us but godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation (2 Corinthians 7:10).
The Apostle Paul experienced the comfort from God and was able to testify with joy of God’s goodness (2 Corinthians 7:13). Sometimes, God puts us through trials so that we can learn a spiritual lesson that we can testify to help someone later in our lives. Spurgeon testified likewise “I often feel very grateful to God that I have undergone fearful depression. I know the borders of despair and the horrible brink of that gulf of darkness into which my feet have almost gone. But hundreds of times I have been able to give a helpful grip to brethren and sisters who have come into that same condition, which grip I could never have given if I had not known their deep despondency. So, I believe that the darkest and most dreadful experience of a child of God will help him to be a fisher of men if he will but follow Christ.”
May the Lord also help us to be a Titus to bring comfort to someone in the body of Christ or lead someone to partake of the blessings of being in the body of Christ. May we say with the psalmist, “In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul.” (Psalm 94:19) Amen.
Yours lovingly,
Pastor Lek Aik Wee