God's Comfort in Suffering

God's Comfort in Suffering

• Isaiah 66:13   As a mother comforts her child, so I will comfort you
• Luke 13:34   How often I have wanted to gather your people together as a mother hen gathers her little ones under her wings. But you would not come!
• 2 Corinthians 1:3-11   All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ. Even when we are weighed down with troubles, it is for your comfort and salvation! For when we ourselves are comforted we will certainly comfort you. Then you can patiently endure the same things we suffer. We are confident that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in the comfort God gives us.  We think you ought to know, dear brothers and sisters, about the trouble we went through in the province of Asia. We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and we thought we would never live through it. In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead.  And he did rescue us from mortal danger, and he will rescue us again. We have placed our confidence in him, and he will continue to rescue us.  And you are helping us by praying for us. Then many people will give thanks because God has graciously answered so many prayers for our safety. 
  • • It wasn't God's original design
    • In general, it's a result of sin introduction into the world
    • We have an enemy
    • The sin of others
    • The sin of ourselves
    • Persecution
• He Is The Source of Comfort
  • • 2 Corinthians 1:3   All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. 
• He Comforts Us In All Our Troubles
  • • He Is Present
    • He Is Active
    • He Empathizes
    • He Conquers
• God Will Use Our Situation
  • • God Will Use Our Situation To Help Other
      • 2 Corinthians 1:4   He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. 
    • God Will Draw You Closer To Him
      • 2 Corinthians 1:8-10   We think you ought to know, dear brothers and sisters, about the trouble we went through in the province of Asia. We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and we thought we would never live through it. In fact, we expected to die, But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead. And he did rescue us from mortal danger, and he will rescue us again. We have placed our confidence in him, and he will continue to rescue us. 

Conclusion:

Romans 8:18-23, 28   Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later. For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are. Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us.… And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.