Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort … (2 Corinthians 1:3)

Someone once said, somewhat skeptically, “Yes, I believe God will help us Christians when we need Him, but I still need someone to help me take out the trash and fix things around the house.” She was a widow struggling through everyday living. In essence, she was asking, “Where is the tangibility of God’s comfort and help?” That is an excellent question. What do we mean when we refer to God being the Father of comfort?

For some, the expectation is a euphoric or esoteric spiritual feeling that sweeps over a person. I purposely use those fancy, “obscure” words to convey that this feeling some are looking for is little understood and usually just beyond reach. They imagine they will know it when they see it. However, life is filled with all kinds of feelings, and we simply cannot judge God’s involvement in our lives based on the feelings we experience. This is a surefire path toward doubt.

Rather, faith is looking for God’s comfort as He brings it to us, accepting it in whatever way He provides. The smallest act of kindness can be seen as God’s reminder that He is present. Unfaith is oblivious to these small events; it demands and will only be satisfied with its preconceived acts on God’s part. It is a requirement that God must work in a certain way that in reality would not require faith on our part; by making something happen that would completely overwhelm us and be absolutely clear without any doubt that God is in my life comforting me.

The irony is that faith, unleashed from narrow expectations and demands on God, does provide the path to the overwhelming comfort of God. While He may not provide someone to fix my house appliance, He may provide help in another, different way, by another avenue of kindness or comfort. By faith, we may see a flower in an unexpected place, hear a kind word spoken in just the right way or have an offer to help in a different area. Above all, God wants us to go beyond our own need and simply trust in Him “who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God” (2 Cor 1:4). What a privilege that He still wants to use us even when we are so focused on our own need of comfort! In fact, out of our need of and faith in His comfort, we become God’s comfort to someone else in need of the same comfort. If in the church we all did this, there would be more than enough of God’s comfort to go around!

Lord, let me be used by You to comfort others.