Is There Comfort
in My Trouble?
Praise
be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and
the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can
comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. 2
Corinthians 1:3-4 (NIV)
When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
Written by Chicago lawyer Horatio Spafford
in 1873, these often-sung and much-loved words did not flow from the fountains
of blessing. Rather, they rose up like relentless waves pounding the seashore
while carrying the most devastating of distresses. Scarlet fever had stolen the life of his four-year-old son,
and the great Chicago fires had burned down all his real estate investments. In
desperate need of some time away for his family, he planned a trip to England.
At the docks in New York, Spafford was called back to Chicago on business, but
he sent his wife and four daughters on ahead and promised to meet up with them
as soon as possible.
Nine days later, Spafford received a
telegram informing him that all four children were killed when their ship to England
sank; only his wife survived. Spafford immediately set sail to meet up with his
wife and, as the ship he was on passed over the location where his daughters drowned, he penned the great
hymn, “It is Well with My Soul,” a hymn that has brought comfort to countless
people over the years.
The Apostle Paul was no stranger to
trouble, trials, tribulation, and anguish. He declared, “Three times I was beaten
with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day
I have been in the deep, ... in perils of robbers, ... in weariness and toil,
in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst,
... in cold and nakedness” (2 Corinthians 11:25–27). Out of the depths of his
personal suffering to the heights of experiencing God’s mercy, Paul was able to
declare that even in times of suffering the possibility for blessing is still
there, abundant comfort can be found in God, and divine purposes are at work.
How does God comfort us in times of
trouble? Comfort begins as we praise God for who He is. As we esteem God for
His nature and character, our perspective on our troubles grows dim in the
light of our great God. Equally important, as we remember the redemptive work accomplished
through Jesus Christ, who gave us eternal life, we see power and love in it
all. God, rich in mercy, has promised never to leave us or forsake us, so he
gave us The Holy Spirit, sometimes called the Comforter. God comforts us
through His presence and His peace.
If we focus our attention on our troubles, they can drown us. God gives us a unique opportunity to use our experiences to help others get through their troubled times. Troubles as difficult and painful as they may be, are never wasted. if we are in trouble, look to Him for comfort. If we have experienced His comfort, then look to Him for an opportunity to share what He has shown us with others who are in need of encouragement.
If we focus our attention on our troubles, they can drown us. God gives us a unique opportunity to use our experiences to help others get through their troubled times. Troubles as difficult and painful as they may be, are never wasted. if we are in trouble, look to Him for comfort. If we have experienced His comfort, then look to Him for an opportunity to share what He has shown us with others who are in need of encouragement.
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