Comforted by GodSpeaker: Dr. Paul Dhinakaran Gist: Jesus walked through the path of tribulation all alone. He knows our agony. Out of love, He hastens to comfort us when we walk in the path of tribulations. He wipes away our tears and sorrows. Our Lord comforts us in our tribulations (2 Corinthians 1:4). Jesus says, "In this world you will have tribulation" (John 16:33). 2 Timothy 3:12 says that whoever desires to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. Why is it so? God takes us through the path of fire so that when our faith is tested we shall come forth as gold (1 Peter 1:7). This is incomprehensible!
When the servants of God suffer, they may wonder, "I love God and work in the path of righteousness; yet why these sufferings and sickness for me? Why should this happen to me and my children?" There is no use asking questions. Let us look up to Jesus amidst these tribulations.
My grandmother often used to suffer from epileptic fits. Whenever she suffers she would shout and gnash her teeth. Her tongue would get caught between her teeth, and blood would flow out like water. Seeing this, our hearts would break. Once my grandfather cried, "Lord, why this suffering?" He heard a voice saying, "Son, praise is the only way." My grandfather accepted that. After that, whenever my grandmother was attacked by that disease, he would raise his voice and praise God. My grandmother's sufferings subsided, day by day. Very soon she was completely healed.
Dear friend, whoever desires to live a godly life will suffer persecution. Job cries, "Are not my days few? Darkness and the shadow of death have surrounded me" (Job 10:20,21). We also cry like that many times. We forget that we have a God of comfort during those times. He knows us because He has walked through that path.
Look at the life of Jesus! His life was filled with poverty. He did not have a place to stay. He once said, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head" (Luke 9:58). He walked through the path of poverty. At the garden of Gethsemane, He sought for someone who could comfort Him, but found none. His own brothers did not believe Him (John 7:4,5). He had struggles at home. He went to Nazareth to preach in the synagogue there. His relatives would have been there. They were astonished by his wisdom; but out of envy, they took Him to the top of a hill to push stone Him. In those days, the Pharisees and Sadducees who preached the word of God wanted to find fault with Him and so they were waiting for an opportunity to arrest Him and take Him to the Roman Governor. He searched for His disciples. His disciple Judas, whom He held dearly, betrayed Him for thirty pieces of silver (Luke 22:47). When the Roman soldiers arrested Jesus, all His disciples fled from Him (Matthew 26:56). He received no comfort from His relatives, from family members, from people who knew the word of God and even from His disciples. From the cross He cried out, "My God, My God why have You forgotten Me?" (Matthew 27:46). He walked through the path of tribulation all alone. He knows our agony and out of love, He hastens to comfort us when we walk in the path of tribulations. He will not forsake you; He will wipe away your tears and sorrows. Do not worry!
Hebrews 6:18,20, says that Jesus, having become the High Priest, bearing our sufferings and grieves, has entered the presence of God. He gave Himself to be oppressed because He wanted to endure the sufferings of His children in His body, soul and spirit. That is why, even today, when we cry, He takes our supplications to the presence of God for us. Immediately, God remembers the bruised body of Jesus and answers us. He wipes away our tears. He comforts us, wiping away the sorrows of sickness, sorrows of loneliness, sorrows of hopeless future and sorrows of tribulation. He blesses us with a new prosperous future. May the God of all Comforts comfort you and bless you!
Prayer:
Loving Lord Jesus,
I understand Your immeasurable love with which You hasten to comfort us at times of tribulation. Lord, whatever sorrows I face in life, it is not new to You. You have already treaded the deepest sorrows and tribulations. Lord, send comfort to my heart whenever I am in sorrow. Help me to overcome tribulations with praises to Your name, so that when I have suffered, I may be more acceptable in Your sight. I submit myself to Your will and purpose. May Your name be glorified always, in Heaven and in earth!
Amen. |