2 Corinthians 1:3
God is the Father of ALL compassion. The word "compassion" is oiktirmon . It means "to have compassion on, pity, mercy." It is the pity or compassion someone shows for the sufferings of another. The NIV translates the word as "compassion" three times and "mercy" twice. The KJV translates 2 Corinthians 1:3 as "the Father of mercies."
Paul chose the word "Father" to describe God's relationship to us. He is the "Father of compassion." God is our Heavenly Father. He gave us physical life. He is our Spiritual Father. He gave us eternal life. We are His children: His sons and daughters. God has deep feelings for the condition of His children. He is loving, compassionate and merciful. He cares about what we face each day. He cares about how we're doing, what's happening to us, what others are doing to us and where we're headed in life. God knows how difficult our road can be. He knows how people and the Enemy attack us day and night sometimes. He knows how others can speak evil about us. He knows how life can throw us curves. God knows how others let us down. He knows how we let ourselves down. God sees, knows and is full of compassion toward us.
James 5:11
The word "mercy" is oiktirmon . James is writing to Jewish believers who have suffered much. The context of this verse is the suffering they were experiencing because of their faith in Christ. James used Job as an example of how tough things can get but how God can turn the worst trials to blessing. With that example, James reminds believers that the Lord "is full of compassion and mercy."
God understands our pain and suffering. His Son, Jesus Christ, is personally acquainted with it. The prophet Isaiah predicted that Christ would suffer for us.
Isaiah 53:3-5
Jesus is familiar with suffering. He suffered during His ministry on earth. He suffered for the Truth. He suffered for you and me. He knows about suffering. When we tell Him about our suffering, He understands. In fact, He did something about it! He took our infirmities upon Himself. He carried our sorrows. He was pierced for our transgressions and crushed for our iniquities. The punishment that brought us peace was upon Him. His wounds healed us. The Lord laid on Christ "the iniquity of us all!"
When is God compassionate toward us? Always! When does He show us mercy? All the time! There is never a moment in your life when God is not compassionate and merciful toward you. Think about some of the tough times you've had in your life. Remember how you felt? Remember the pain and suffering? You may have felt alone but you weren't, were you? You learned that God was always with you. Remember how He showed His compassion and mercy in your situation? Remember how He solved your problems, dried your tears and worked out things for good? Well, He's still compassionate today. He's still showing you mercy. He still cares about everything you face in life. He'll be with you this week just like He was last week and the week before that and the week before that. God will never leave you to face trials alone. He's your Father of Compassion.
What do we do with God's compassion? Two things. First, receive it as a gift of cool, pure water in a hot and angry desert. God's compassion is our refreshment in times of trouble. It gives us hope and the courage to go on. It teaches and matures us so we can serve God better through the years. Second, share God's compassion with someone else this week. Be compassionate and merciful toward others just as God is compassionate and merciful toward you. God is our example of compassion. Do as He does. Christ Who is "in" us wants and will reach out to touch the lives of others and show them His compassion through us.
Ephesians 4:32-5:2
We are God's special people. We are a holy people. We are loved. Because of that, we can be compassionate to members of our family, our Christian brothers and sisters, our neighbors and even strangers. It's part of our high calling in Jesus Christ.
Colossians 3:12-14
2 Corinthians 1:3
Your God ... my God ... is THE God of all comfort! All comfort comes from Him.
The Greek word for "comfort" is parakleseos . It comes from para , "to the side of," and kaleo , "to call." It means "to call to ones's side." The idea is of someone coming along side of another and giving them aid, help, comfort, encouragement. They are not in front of you to pull or behind you to push. They are not off to the side to criticize you. They are right next to you, walking step by step with you with their arm around you to help you make it through the tough times.
Think about what people do naturally when someone they love is in trouble. They step right up next to them, put their arm around them, hold them tight, tell them they love them and are there for them. Loving people naturally give the people they love comfort in times of trouble. Is God less loving than people? Of course not. God is Love. He is the Highest Example of Love. God does more loving and comforting than the billions of people in the world combined.
When you and I suffer, when we hurt, when we're in pain and trouble, God steps up close, puts His big arms around us, holds us close, tells us He loves us with all His heart and comfort us. He is the God of All Comfort.
Notice Paul writes that God is the God of all comfort. The Greek word is pases . It includes the idea of totality or the whole. A professor of Greek used to tell me that "all means all and that's all all means." It was a simple way of remembering that "all" covers everything. There's nothing that "all" does not cover. God doesn't provide "some" comfort or "a little" comfort or "most of" the comfort. He provides ALL comfort. He is the God of ALL comfort! He gives us all the aid, help and encouragement we will ever need in life.
Everyone needs comfort. Nobody leads a perfect, worry-free, trouble-free life. Everybody has problems. Everyone suffers and feels deep sorrow at times. We all need to hear an encouraging word, have someone put their arm around us and tell us it's going to be alright. We need someone to walk with us through the tough times and guide us to safe harbor when we can't see because our eyes are too filled with tears to know where to go. Everyone needs help. That's what God does so well: He helps, He aids, He comforts, He encourages, He guides. Christ is "in" us comforting us through life.
The Bible is rich in examples of God's comfort. Here's just one example from the Old Testament. God brought comfort to His people in the southern kingdom of Israel through the prophet Nahum. The name Nahum means "comfort" in Hebrew. Nahum writes his pronouncement of God's judgment to the wicked people of Nineveh, the capital city of Assyria. Assyria had captured the northern kingdom of Israel about a century earlier. Assyria was after the southern kingdom, too. Nahum's prophecy warned Nineveh that God was angry with them and would defeat them. Inside these prophetic pronouncements are a couple of choice thoughts about how God comes alongside His troubled people to comfort them during very tough times.
Nahum 1:7-9; 2:2
Remember, no one can stand in the way of God. God is the Victor. Remember also that you are a child of God. Christ is "in" you and you are "in Christ. He is there to protect you, guide you, fight for you, help you, comfort you. If God is strong enough to defeat one of the most powerful nations on earth and drive them from Israel, He is certainly strong enough to take care of you day by day.
I pray these words are an encouragement this week as you face the trials and troubles of life. Remember, God is walking with you, arm around you, speaking strong words of comfort, pointing the way, guiding you through trouble, loving you with all His heart. He is "the God of all comfort!"
2 Corinthians 1:3-4
God comforts us in all our troubles. Isn't that a wonderful thought? God is always there for us. He sees everything we go through, stands beside us with His Big, Powerful Arms around us and comforts us through the worst of times.
The word "trouble" is thlipsis . It comes from the word thlibo , "to crush, press, compress, squeeze," which comes from thlao , "to break." The word in 2 Corinthians means "a pressing, pressure." It is anything that burdens the spirit. It speaks of tough times in a person's life; things that oppress and afflict. Other translations of thlipsis , include "suffering, hardships, persecution, affliction, trials, anguish, hard pressed, severe trial, tribulation." What God is comforting us through are the toughest times we face.
Why does God do that? He loves us. He wants us to be joyful and successful. But that's not the end of it. God has another reason for comforting us: "so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God."
God has a phenomenal plan for helping people. He places His Holy Spirit in us, comforts us in all of our troubles so that we can comfort others in any trouble they face. Not just the little problems people face, but any of them. That includes the biggest and worst trials. How do we accomplish that amazing feat? "...with the comfort we ourselves have received from God."
The unsaved world is looking for something real. They need to see real people who have dealt with real problems and gone through them successfully. The world needs to see God's Strength. How do they see that? Through us! Through our lives! They watch Christians go through the worst kinds of pressing troubles. They see how we handle it. They see the strength and confidence we have in times of deep affliction and tribulation. Then they are open to what we have to say.
How do we learn how to comfort others? We can go to college. We can attend special seminars. We can read the latest books on the subject. But the best way to learn how to comfort another person is to call on what God taught us as we were going through tough times. We comfort others "with the comfort we ourselves have received from God."
Think back for a moment to a time of recent trouble in your life. Remember how you felt? Remember what you thought? Remember how God comforted you through His Word, His Spirit. Remember how He answered to your prayers? Remember how much you needed Him? Remember how much you depended on him? Remember what you said to Him during that time of trouble? Remember what He said to you that gave you the most comfort?
Use that knowledge and experience as you minister to the needs of others. Use the comfort that God gave you to guide you in comforting someone else. Let the comfort of God flow through you to this other person. Stand close to them. Pray for them. Listen to them. Place your arms around them as you listen. Speak softly and strongly. Show your support as you show them the way through the problem. Be honest with them. Don't hold back the truth because it might offend them. The Truth will make them free. Always be humble and kind. You've been in trouble before. You know what it's like to have someone around you who is unfeeling, prideful and even mean in what they say. Be gentle and patient. The ministry of comfort can take a lot of time.
Teach them about God and how He loves them. Show them in the Word that the comfort you give them comes from God Who is the "God of all comfort." If they are not Christians, introduce them to the Loving Savior. If they are Christians, encourage them to live fully for Christ. Remind them that Christ is "in" them and they are "in" Christ. They are as close to God now as they will ever be.
Encourage the people you comfort to use the comfort God gave them to comfort others. It's a wonderful circle. God helps you to help others who help others who help others who help others. And God is glorified in every way as do! It's God's way of reaching a world with His Love and Strength. You and I are the great beneficiaries. We receive God's comfort during our toughest times. We comfort others with the comfort God gave us. We rejoice in seeing them comforted and reaching out to others. The cycle continues until an entire world has heard of Christ and seen His power through the lives of His people.
"God, thank you for comforting us through our toughest times in life. Today, show us someone with whom we can share Your comfort. Help us be a blessing."
2 Corinthians 1:10-11
Paul went through some tough times during his ministry. Listen to what he told the Corinthians.
2 Corinthians 1:8-9
Paul was a human being. He faced tough times just like us. He experienced stress and pressure, just like us. He faced pressure that was beyond his ability to endure, just like us. He even despaired of life itself, just like we have. But Paul realized what was happening to him was part of a larger spiritual plan for his life. He knew it was happening that he might not rely on himself but on Christ Who lived "in" him. Paul was not a superman, but he was a spiritually wise man. He knew God was in him and with him every step of his journey. Paul knew God loved him. He knew God was "the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort."
Paul also knew the power of prayer. He knew that God used the prayers of His children to support and help other believers in need. Paul wrote: "On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us..." Paul knew God had and would continue to deliver him in his time of trial. Paul also knew the Corinthians were praying for him and he connected those prayers to God's continual deliverance: "as you help us by your prayers." Paul knew God granted His gracious favor to him "in answer to the prayers of many."
God does not do His Work of Grace in a vacuum. He doesn't pick just a few people to participate in His Mighty Work. He lets every believer play an important part. God invites each of us to pray for one another and play a vital role in the great things He is doing.
One of the greatest things one person can do for another is pray. Listen to what Paul wrote about the importance of the ministry (service) of prayer.
Romans 12:12
Philippians 4:6
Colossians 4:2-4
2 Corinthians 9:14
1 Timothy 2:1-2
Ephesians 6:18-20
Colossians 1:9-11
Romans 15:30
Philemon 1:22
Colossians 4:12
1 Thessalonians 3:10
These are a small number of Biblical examples of God's people praying for each other. Paul depended on the prayers of the saints. He knew prayer was a major part of God's plan to communicate His Love and Grace to a needy world.
Each of us, today, has the opportunity to pray. We can pray for people we love and for people who do us wrong. We can pray for anyone at anytime. Nothing can restrict us from praying. Notice that Paul prayed "night and day" for the needs of people. He and other believers "struggled" in prayer. They felt the need deeply. They knew what was at stake. They prayed with all their hearts.
Have you ever had difficulty in praying? Have you ever felt so deeply about something that human words in prayer didn't seem adequate to the need? So have I. Paul understood that and wrote these comforting words.
Romans 8:26-27
Prayer is one of the greatest opportunities a Christian can experience in this life. God not only listens to us, He wants us to tell Him everything. He wants us to share in the deep things of His Spirit. He wants us to participate in His great Plan to save the souls of millions. God wants us to pray.
What does this mean to you and me? It means we can play a vital role in every Christian ministry on earth! It means you can pray for me and I can pray for you. It means you can pray for your pastor and he can pray for you. It means you can struggle in prayer about the problems facing people in your church and they can struggle in prayer for you. It means you can pray earnestly for the ministries of people thousands of miles away and they can pray for you.
The Internet and World Wide Web have brought all of us a lot closer. We can visit the sites of ministries around the world to find out what they're doing and what they need. We can pray for them. We can send them e-mail to let them know we're praying for them. We can share our needs with each other and pray for one another. It means we can be more involved than ever in God's work around the world. That's exciting! It's also a tremendous challenge. God uses our prayers. He takes our wants and desires and mixes them with the wants and desires of all His children and carries out His Perfect Will. It's an amazing and wonderful thing!
When should a Christian pray? Whenever we want. Paul mentioned praying night and day. Sharing our deepest thoughts and concerns with God is something we can do anytime. That's because Christ is "in" you and you are "in Christ. God's ears are always open to the cries of His children. How long should we pray? For as long as we have need to pray. God's ears never tire of our prayers, our petitions, our thanksgiving. We can go to God with our most private thoughts any time of the day or night and for as long as we want. He'll listen to us for a minute, for 30 minutes, for an hour, for two hours or twelve hours. He will listen to us all day for days. He is always there to listen and respond to us in the "Sweet Hour of Prayer."
W.W. Walford & William B. Bradbury
Take a few moments, right now, to thank God for His wonderful gift of prayer. Thank Him for all He's done for you and people you love. Tell Him what's on your heart. Share your burdens with Him. He's waiting to hear from you, from me, from all of us. His Shoulders are broad. His Heart is large. His Love is overwhelming. His Mercy is sure. His Comfort is able. His Grace is ready in the Sweet Hour of Prayer.
Go to GraceThoughts 7 for more GraceThoughts.
"Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright © , 1973, 1978, 1984, International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers."
Taking God's Grace to the World!
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Last Updated: 12/20/1999 "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort."
"The Lord is full of compassion and mercy."
"He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed."
"Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love."
"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity."
"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort."
"The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him, but with an overwhelming flood he will make an end of Nineveh; he will pursue his foes into darkness. Whatever they plot against the Lord he will bring to an end; trouble will not come a second time ... The Lord will restore the splendor of Jacob like the splendor of Israel, though destroyers have laid them waste and have ruined their vines"
"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 have received from God."
"He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many."
"We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead."
"Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer."
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."
"Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful, and pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should."
"And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you."
"I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone--for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness."
"And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep praying for all the saints. Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should."
"For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience."
"I urge you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me."
"And one thing more: Prepare a guest room for me, because I hope to be restored to you in answer to your prayers."
"Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured."
"Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you again and supply what is lacking in your faith."
"In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will."
"Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer! That calls me from a world of care, And bids me, at my Father's throne, Make all my wants and wishes known; In seasons of distress and grief, My soul has often found relief, And oft escaped the tempter's snare By Thy return, Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer! Thy wings shall my petition bear, To Him whose truth and righteousness, Engage the waiting souls to bless; and since He bids me seek His face, Believe His word and trust His grace, I'll cast on Him my ev'ry care, And wait for Him, Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer! May I Thy consolation share, Till from Mount Pisgah's lofty height, I view my home and take my flight; This robe of flesh I'll drop, and rise To seize the everlasting prize; And shout, while passing thru the air, Farewell, farewell, sweet hour of prayer."