Comfort in Suffering

Max Lucado tells the story of his youngest daughter Sarah who loved to climb up on the arm of their living room sofa and jump into the arms of her daddy. Sarah would do this over and over again. One day while playing, Max tried to get Sarah to jump off the sofa into her older sister’s arm but Sarah refused to. Her daddy kept encouraging her to jump but she wouldn’t. Finally Max asked his daughter “why won’t you jump into your older sister’s arms ” and her response was. “I only jump into big arms.”

Over these past few months I have been burdened over those of you who are grieving the loss of loved ones. This past Sunday I looked at a congregation who the vast majority have lost close loved ones during my tenure here as Pastor.

What we need today is the big arms of our Lord!

Over these next few weeks we will take a break from the Gospel of Mark and will allow the Word of God to minister to you who are hurting. For those of us who haven't experience loss this can be proactive ministry because if you live long enough you will.

The Apostle Paul experienced many hardships and in this letter he tells of them. Our hardships are not the same, his was great persecution for his faith but we face hardships none the less. One could say that an underlying theme of 2 Corinthians is comfort.

In this letter we see Paul’s “Pastor’s heart,” it is one of his most personal letters. The problem of pain has always perplexed people. But the opening verses of this letter tells us that God is the God of Comfort who comforts us when we hurt.

CPS: Today I want to tell you who are hurting to jump into the big arms of God and He will comfort you.

I. Jump into the big arms of God Because He is the source of comfort (3-4)

God has big arms, powerful enough to create the world out of nothingness. Powerful enough to sustain all the world at once. Powerful enough to bring salvation to any who come to Him. During difficult times why would we turn to anyone else? Only His arms will do.

A. God’s Mercy

In this text Paul praises God for His mercy and comfort. He calls God the Father of mercies. The word Father denotes source of origin. God is the good good Father who loves us enough to keep us from what we deserve. Mercy literally means to feel sympathy towards one who is in misery. Such sympathy manifests itself in acts of compassion. An old Pastor once said that Mercy is God keeping us from what we deserve.

The truth is, we deserve suffering and pain but God wants to deliver us from that. So at the right point in time He sent Jesus to save us from our sin so that we don’t have to suffer the just penalty of sin.

A mother once approached Napoleon seeking a pardon for her son. The emperor replied that the young man had committed a certain offense twice and justice demanded death.

“But I don’t ask for justice,” the mother explained. “I plead for mercy.”

“But your son does not deserve mercy,” Napoleon replied.

“Sir,” the woman cried, “it would not be mercy if he deserved it, and mercy is all I ask for.”

“Well, then,” the emperor said, “I will have mercy.” And he spared the woman’s son.

If the French Emperor can show mercy how much more will God who loves us so much that He sent His son to die for our sins.

But, If you have not recieved the mercy of God by grace through faith in Jesus you will not receive true comfort. One of God’s mercies is His comfort that he sheds richly upon those who are His!

B. God’s Comfort

The word comfort is translated 29 times in this letter and is used 11 times in the first 11 verses. It was important to Paul that his readers be aware of God’s comfort.

The apostle tells us that God is the God of all comfort. He isn't simply able to comfort but He is the originator and source of Comfort. When we hurt why would we turn to temporary relief when we can have the source of comfort flood our hearts.

The Greek word for comfort means “to call to one’s side,” to literally come to the aid of another bringing consolation and encouragement.

Like a little child learning to ride a bicycle who falls down on the pavement and skins his knee. His father runs to his side picks him up, wipes away his tears, and tells him that he is okay!

God is like that and so much more! He is the God of all comfort. All is the adjective pas which means every, each, whole. God will minster to more than your physical ailment, he will minster to your entire being bringing comfort to your body, mind, and soul.

God’s comfort is the comfort which brings courage and enables us to cope with all that life can do to us. The world may say that time heals all hurts, that we must move on and not harp on the pain. The Bible tells us to bring our hurts to God, tell him how you feel (as if He doesn't already know) and lay that pain upon Him and He will comfort you and give you strength to move on even when you feel as though you may not be able to take another breath.

Jesus gives an open invitation to the Father of Mercy and the God of all comfort, saying “come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.” You can find a place of refuge and rest from your sufferings in Jesus who has overcame the world and it’s sufferings.

C. God’s Purpose

God is the God of order and purpose, and we must understand that God has a purpose in all things. In this text we see a glimpse as to why God’s children must endure hardships and receive the comfort of God.

It is so that we may be an agent of God’s manifested love to earth. To comfort others who may be going through what you have been through. God comforts us so that in time we may comfort others.

I read of a story told about a woman who had a 6-month old baby. One bright day, the mother was in the kitchen with the baby in her arms—suddenly the baby died while in her arms.

Her husband, a pastor, and a funeral director tried to take the dead baby away from his mother. The mother would not give him up. A little lady two blocks away heard of this. She had lost her baby six months previously. She came over and sat with the woman.

She didn’t try to take the baby, but began to tell of her experiences and how her baby was in Heaven with Jesus and she, too, would go there one day. Without saying a word, the woman handed her the baby. She took him in to the father, came back, and both got on their knees and prayed.

She was able to comfort her because of her own suffering.

As I look at many of you here today that has lost a spouse, child, a parent, or sibling... as your pastor I can’t say “I know what you are going through” because I don’t. But there is a room full of others who do. They can tell you of their experience and the comfort that God gave them. During difficult times we Christians must come together in order to manifest God’s grace to each other.

If you are here today and you are hurting, jump into the big arms of God because He is the source of all Comfort and He will catch you!

II. Jump into the big arms of God because His comfort is greater than the worlds trouble (5)

This world is full of hurt but the promises of God are rich, wonderful, timely, and always faithful. The apostle tells us of the faithfulness of God’s promises, listen to 2 Cor. 1:20 “For as many as are the promises of God, in Him they are yes; therefore also through Him is our Amen to the glory of God through us.”

Verse 5 is an allusion to two Old Testament promises that Paul brings to the forefront of those who hurt. Perhaps as he suffered these verses rang loudly to His heart, therefore they are worth noting and remembering.

Listen to Psalm 34:19 “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the Lord delivers him out of them all.”

Listen to Psalm 94:19 “When my anxious thoughts multiply within me, Your consolations delight my soul.”

There is great hope in the promises of God. Through divine inspiration Paul tells of a great promise. That even when your suffering seems to be unbearable, even when your heartache seems to grow and grow... that by the grace of God, His Comfort grows beyond the heart ache and beyond the pain.

The word abound means “to be in excess” to “be over.” It is the idea of over flowing.

Like a glass placed in the sink under a running faucet, the water fills the glass then runs over the rim flowing into the sink, so is the comfort of God.

In God great hope is found, when you long to see your loved ones, to hear his/her laugh, when you miss him/her so much that it hurts and the sorrow feels as though it is too much to bear the comfort of God will come in excess. It will be more than enough.

Application

1. Trust God (9-10)

A. He is our hope (He raises the dead)

B. He is our deliver (He will rescue us)

2. Prayer (11)

Pray for those who are hurting

Conclusion

In conclusion let me tell you that by grace through faith you have been made a child of God. As a father loves his children how much more does God love you. His arms are big and strong, full of mercy and comfort. Jump into them and He will catch you and bring comfort to your hurting heart.

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