“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

God Our Comforter

I was at lunch with friends, when my phone rang. Looking at the number, I knew I needed to answer. It was my niece, telling me that my sister, brother-in-law, and other niece had been in a terrible accident. Their van hit a patch of black ice, and they rolled several times. They were seriously hurt, but the extent of their injuries was unknown at that point. My niece, who had been in the middle of the back seat, only sustained a few scratches. She was able to crawl out a window, find her phone (in the ditch!), and call for help. It took some doing, as they were miles from civilization.

I made myself not panic, but after many calls that day, I learned that my sister and her husband both had several breaks in their necks and backs. My brother-in-law also had a broken sternum and ribs. The day passed in a blur, and I was finally able to talk to my sister. You know how it is, you just need to hear your loved one’s voice. 

Once I knew that though she wasn’t well, but would be okay, I called my brother-in-law’s room next. When he answered, all I could do was identify myself before bursting into tears. I could hear the agony in his voice. I will never forget this: he said, “Oh, honey, it’s okay… praise God, we’re alive… we’ll be okay…” and then he began to pray for me. Even in the midst of his terrible pain, his thoughts weren’t for himself; he wanted to comfort me! My intention had been to offer him comfort, but instead, he, like the big brother he is, comforted me. 

Isn’t that a wonderful reflection of what our Lord would do? The Scriptures are full of verses of how He offers us His comfort, His refuge, His strength. Jesus, as He hung on the cross, offered forgiveness and comfort to the thief next to Him. Luke 23:42-43 says, “Then he said to Jesus, ‘Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”’     

I know that God comforts us when we don’t even know it, and my prayer is that we are able to offer comfort as He does—and that we’ll be able to receive comfort as well. We mustn’t be too proud to be on the receiving end of it! 

“Father, thank You for the comfort You give us through Your word, through songs of worship, and from the prayers of loved ones. May we comfort as we are comforted. To You be the glory! In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”