Revisiting Affliction and the Comfort of God

As Job said, "Man is born to trouble as the sparks fly upward" (Job 5:7). We can expect trouble of one kind or another to afflict us and those we love. We can also ask God for the necessary comfort in those times.

Affliction and the Comfort of God

God comforts not only in our affliction
But also in the affliction of those we love,
Pouring His affection as oil on the wounds
Of the hearts of His beloved,
Knowing very personally what
Affliction and loss feel like,
Knowing even more thoroughly than
Any of us can appreciate
Here and now.

2 Corinthians 1:3-4: "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 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."

Daily Grace Revisited

It is easy to get ahead of where we should be, as Proverbs 19:2 indicates. God's provisions for us are, as Luke 11:3 points us, for "this day our daily bread." And this is not just the physical bread but more important, that which feeds our spirits. As Jesus said, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God" (Matthew 4:4).

Daily Grace

God gives me grace daily
When I take of the living Bread,
Strength as I need it,
Wisdom for my plans
From the living Head.

God gives me grace
For all I face,
But not until the time.
God give's me grace, and fully,
As is His good design.

I don't know what will face me
If any days will come,
But know that He will meet my needs,
He's done the needful sum.

God's grace is daily and sufficient as He planned,
And all I need to have it is
To stretch out a prayerful, obedient hand.

Examining Grace

Grace: what a concept! Unmerited favor--for merited would not be favor but payback.

Grace--derived from "rejoice"--and when we experience grace, we can only respond with rejoicing and awed hearts, because we don't "deserve" grace.

Grace: said to be descriptive of God's favor, His forgiving mercy, the Gospel (of grace of course), gifts (spiritual), and eternal life.

Grace: the source of salvation, call of God, faith (Ephesians 2:8-9), justification, forgiveness, and that blessed comfort.

Grace: described as all-abundant, all-sufficient, glorious, great, manifold, and rich.

Grace: believers are under it, receive it, stand in it, abound in it, are to be strong in it, grow in it, speak with it, and will inherit it.

Grace: who can wrap his or her mind around such a gift as this?

It is more than one package can contain or hold, yet it is small enough for the the heart to encompass.

It is beyond the most mature believer to fully comprehend, but grace is not out of reach for the newest or youngest to receive and rejoice in.

Grace, grace--God's grace.

Compassion

Compassion is on my mind for many reasons, but especially where relationships are concerned.

Peter wrote, "Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins" (1 Peter 4:8).

This kind of love is compassionate.

In the famous 13th chapter of First Corinthians we read: "Love is patient, love is kind and not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant; does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things" (1 Corinthians 13:4-7).

This kind of love can come only from God, whom we love because He first loved us (1 John 4:10-11, 19).

This kind of compassion is noted many times in Scripture.

"Remember, O LORD, Your compassion and Your lovingkindnesses, for they have been from of old" (Psalm 25:6).

"You, O LORD, will not withhold Your compassion from me; Your lovingkindness and Your truth will continually preserve me" (Psalm 40:11).

"Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; according to the greatness of Your compassion blot out my transgressions" (Psalm 51:1).

"The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness" (Psalm 103:8).

"He has made His wonders to be remembered; the LORD is gracious and compassionate" (Psalm 111:4).

"Light arises in the darkness for the upright; He is gracious and compassionate and righteous" (Psalm 112:4).

"Therefore the LORD longs to be gracious to you, and therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you. For the LORD is a God of justice; how blessed are those who long for Him" (Isaiah 30:18).

"Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return to the LORD, and He will have compassion on him, and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon" (Isaiah 55:7).

Given God's compassion, how ought we treat other believers?

Paul wrote to the Colossians: "So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you" (Colossians 3:12-13).

Prayers from such a heart of compassion will no doubt be answered.