A Word of Encouragement

Gods Comfort and Our Affliction

Tony Reed

June 27, 2016

(2Co 1:3-4) Blessed be God, even the Father of our

Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of
all comfort; Who 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.

Gods Comfort in our Affliction

During my intense battle with Pancreatic Cancer I
sought the comfort of God in my life. Through strong
Chemotherapy and many sleepless nights I pursued the
comfort of my God. I know real affliction and how it
can rattle your cage. My surgical team at John Hopkins
came to me and said there goal was to keep the tumor
from growing because it was located near a vital vein
and the consequences of that vein being engage by that
tumor would be catastrophic for me. That being said can
you imagine going to bed every night not knowing if the
tumor was growing? My only source of hope was the
God of all comfort. 2Corintians 1:8-11, Paul speaks of
his affliction even expecting to die because of the
difficulty he experienced. In verses 3-4, he is sharing
what he came to know about God. Paul expected the
outcome of his trouble would end his life. In order to
know someone you need to have facts about that person
from that person not second hand information. Pauls
relationship with God became more meaningful because
God revealed to him that He was the God of all comfort.
That is why he could say out of his affliction Blessed
be the God of all comfort. Paul came to know this about
God through his affliction and in your trouble you can
know the same thing about God as well. What is it that
God wants you to know about Him through your
affliction? God wants you to know Him so he is giving
you some facts about His character. He is a comforting
God! Paul said Blessed be God. We get the word
eulogy from the word blessed in this passage. It
means to speak well of, or to praise. It is only used of
God the Father and Christ (God the Son), showing the
Godhead is worthy of all our commitment. Indeed, only
God is essentially praiseworthy, worthy of every "good
acknowledgment"! Affliction induces praise to God, but

we must look to Him for comfort. I am reminded of the

David in Psalms 42; He was depressed over his
circumstances. And do not criticize David I have been
through many sleepless nights over my own affliction,
but nothing changed until I focused on the Lord. It was
then I directed my mind toward Gods Word.
Psa_119:50 This is my comfort in my affliction: for thy
word hath quickened me. Gods Word redirects our
focus back to God. David asked himself a question in
Psa 42:5 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and
why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God:
for I shall yet praise him for the help of his
countenance. Davids attitude changed and he
experienced the comfort of God in his life. You ever
saw a plant in your house wilting or dying. You see that
the plant needs help so you use water and sunlight to
restore or revive that plant. You provided comfort to that
plant and so the Lord provides that kind of comfort to us
in our affliction. The word Tribulation is the Greek
word thlipsis. This word is directed toward inward
pressure. Inward pressure can come from all directions
in our life. It can come from sickness, financial stress,
vocational issues, marital problems, family mess.
Afflictions can hit all areas of our life. 1Co_10:13
There hath no temptation taken you but such as is
common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer
you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with
the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may
be able to bear it. Thlpsis properly, pressure (what
constricts or rubs together), used of a narrow place that
"hems someone in"; tribulation, especially internal
pressure that causes someone to feel confined
(restricted, "without options"). You have no way of
escape from the pressure. You cannot change one thing
about your circumstances that is the true nature of
affliction. You need someone greater than your affliction
to help you and that person is God. My tumor placed me
in affliction, no options, nothing I could do personally to
change the situation. So, one must turn and trust the God
of all comfort. God promised to comfort us in all out
struggles and afflictions. You dont know what God can
do until you are in dire straits in your life. Coping with
internal pressure when you feel there is no way out. I
have heard a lot of bad exposition on the word comfort
some have spoken as though God places you in Waldorf

Astoria or some Swanky hotel with all the comforts of

heaven, not so. The Greek word used in the text is the
word paraklsis. The word means to encourage us in
our affliction as we pursue the will of God in our trouble
or affliction. Accurately, a call (urging), done by
someone "close beside," i.e. a personal exhortation that
delivers the "evidence that stands up in God's court."
The word transports the idea of the Lord directly
motivating and inspiring believers to carry out His plan,
delivering His particular message to someone else. In the
text we are studying it means to encourage us in our
affliction or inward pressure with no way out. It is God
providing hope that you will make it and that He is
present. One of my favorite bands growing up was Sly
and the Family Stones. If you never heard of them
depending on your generation Google or Youtube
and they had some inspirational songs. Everybody is a
star and one song in particular that was encouraging
You can make it if you try. If man can give words of
encouragement how much more can God encourage us
and perform miracles to accompany us on our journey.

Our Ministry of Encouragement

One of the greatest benefits to the church and to those
outside the church is someone that has gone through
affliction. Someone who has proven character during
times of inward pressure with no escape clause and God
has brought them through great pain and suffering. They
know what God can do and understand through
experience that He is who He says He is the God of all
comfort. It is through this kind of pressure that great
ministries are born. It is through this kind of experience
that Christian character is shaped making that person
meet for the masters use (Col.1:12, 2Tim.2:21). I
always say God never calls the qualified but he
qualifies the called. Christ our High Priest can comfort
us because He chose to experience suffering in a human
body. As God He knew suffering without suffering, but
restricting Himself down to live within a human body
composed of matter. He experienced suffering in a body
as the Scripture says Heb 4:15 For we have not an
high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of
our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we
are, yet without sin. And the reality that Jesus was the
Son of God, that He was divine does not mean that He
doesn't know how we feel, that He doesn't know our
feelings, that He's a stranger to our emotions, not so.
God the Son became man; He became Jesus, in order to
be a part of the temptation and the testing and the
suffering of men that He might be a compassionate and
understanding High priest. Jesus is fully absorbed in
your pain and suffering and He is merciful. No sense in
complaining to people they do not understand unless
they have been there, but Jesus He knows and cares and
has the power to comfort us in affliction. A great
responsibility arises out of our being comforted in our

affliction and that is to comfort others that are going

through affliction of any kind. Who 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 (2Cor.1:4). Youve been
unemployed and God comforted or encourage you. Then
you need to encourage someone else. You been sick in
dire straits then you need to comfort someone else with
the comfort you received from the Lord. Whether it is
bankruptcy, family mess, church issues, ministry
debacles, raising children, caretaker and God comforted
you then you need to be transparent and encourage
someone else with the encouraging comfort you received
from God. I believe God holds us accountable for His
mercy and grace and therefore we need to be servants of
the Most High God and uplift others. Paul is comforting
the church at Corinth by sharing what God did for him in
his affliction. Many opportunities are blown because we
do not use this tool of ministry effectively. During my
affliction I had people come up to me and shared how
they were comforted during their battle with MS, or
Heart surgery, Cancer, and that was encouraging to me
to fight and look to God for the same comfort He gave to
them. These saints are truly blessed and the fortified
proteins of the church. They march in the church like
your white cells attack germs in the body. God sends
them your way. I had one lady in our church that came
to me and said you wake up one day and tag your it
and I will never forget that phrase. During her personal
bout with Multiple Sclerosis, so she gave it a phrase by
seeing it as Gods way of playing tag. She encouraged
my heart and provided comfort. She gave me a way of
handling my affliction. Some provided comfort through
prayer as Paul said of the Corinthians 2Co 1:11 Ye also
helping together by prayer for us, What a blessing to
know that others are praying for your comfort, so you
should also after being encouraged by God become a
prayer warrior for others. My brother is suffering from
throat cancer and I went to visit him and prayed with
him, but one thing for sure I know that pain and how
hard it is so my prayers were passionate on his behalf.
Some people want to avoid affliction and suffering but
you cannot. It is already part of the Christian life and life
in general. Psa 34:19 Many are the afflictions of the
righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.
Are you righteous or saved. If so then you are going to
have affliction. It is unavoidable!! I love the way Peter
puts it in the Scripture 1Pe_4:12 Beloved, think it not
strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as
though some strange thing happened unto you: This is
the phrase of my dear sister in the church used to
comfort me Tag your it. She was basically saying what
Peter said Do not think it strange when you get tagged
with a trial of affliction. Beloved with the right attitude
in our times of trouble we can be a great asset to helping
and encouraging others in there trouble. I have had

friends that fought courageously through their health

issues and their lives have inspired me. A missionary in
Germany whom I had the pleasure of knowing while I
served in the Army provided great comfort for me that
touch me today as he battled cancer and eventually went
home to be with the Lord in 1985. I was stationed in
Germany while serving in the Army. I was leaving the
service to attend Bible College but during His own
affliction he was encouraging me during his time of
affliction. He served as a missionary in Germany for
over 30 years. I have a letter that he wrote to me that I
keep for encouragement and comfort. I had a missions
teacher in Bible College while serving in Chad and the
Central African Republic for thirty (1954-1984) years at
the age of fifty-five was stricken with stomach cancer.
He continued to serve the Lord and left the mission field
and became a teacher at the Bible College I attended. He
also was instrumental in planting a new church in Iowa.
He passed away at the age of eighty-one in Florida
December 10, 2010. These saints have provided me with
so much comfort in my life today. God is truly the God
of all comfort. I encourage you to start seeing your pain
and affliction as an opportunity for God to comfort you
so that you might be the comforter that God wants you
to be to others for His glory. Glory to God!
(Just received news during the writing of this letter of
encouragement my brother Lawrence Reed passed
away today. Though my heart is heavy and full of
sorrow God will provide the comfort needed. Pray
for me)
Bible teacher and Commentator
Tony Reed
Contact: Word of Encouragement Ministries
mailto:AnthonyReed123@aol.com
Study Resource: http://biblehub.com

Personal Devotional Notes:

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