- Comforted by God –

[Meshach]

Psalm 94:19, “In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul”
2 Corinthians 1:3, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort.”
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Webster defines comfort as consolation in time of trouble or worry, to give strength and hope to, a feeling of relief or encouragement. Have you been comforted lately by the presence and hand of God? I am reminded of 2 Corinthians 1:4, “Who (God) comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.” A mother was trying to calm her fretful little daughter who had climbed up on her lap one evening. Soon her loving embrace and tender caresses had quieted the 4-year old’s uneasiness. However, the mother herself was grieving because of the recent death of her own dear mother. Looking up, the little girl saw her moist eyes and asked sweetly, “Mama, do you want to be holded too?” The mother’s tears began to flow freely, and the child hugged her and whispered, “Mama, God will hold you, won’t He?” Those words consoled her. How reassuring it is to know that our Lord is the “God of all comfort” (2 Corinthians 1:3). Although we may be greatly perplexed and sorrowful, His ways are always right and gracious. Rather than complaining, we should trust Him no matter how severely our faith is tested. God is good, and heaven will one day reveal that His purpose was never to hurt us but always to bless us. We must therefore cast all our care upon the Lord, believing that He is holding us even when we do not feel it. There is solid comfort in that reality.
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I will conclude with the following illustration … You never know when you’ll need the Lord’s comfort the most … when God’s care will be your only hope to face tomorrow. One day in 1932, pianist, singer, and songwriter Thomas A. Dorsey discovered his need for God’s comfort. He left his pregnant wife Nettie at home in Chicago while he drove his Model A to St. Louis to sing at a revival meeting. All went well, and the crowd responded enthusiastically. At the end of Dorsey’s performance, he received a telegram with the tragic news that his wife had died in childbirth. Within hours, the baby boy also died. Filled with grief, Dorsey sought answers. Should he have stayed in Chicago and not gone to St. Louis? Had God done him an injustice? A few days after Nettie’s death, Dorsey sat down at the piano and began to play. Finally sensing God’s peace and closeness, he began to sing some new words and play a new song:

Precious Lord, take my hand,
Lead me on, let me stand;
I am tired, I am weak, I am worn;
Through the storm, through the night,
Lead me on to the light;
Take my hand, precious Lord, lead me home.
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Is there a problem too big for you to handle or a grief too great to bear? If so, put your hand in the Lord’s, and let the “God of all comfort” lead you home.