The Father of Compassion

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​The Father of Compassion
 
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 receive from God.  II Corinthians 1:3-4
 
Whitney was about 3 years old when we were at a family reunion, enjoying the family and beautiful weather.  Out of nowhere, her cry burst out as we discovered she stepped on and got stung by a bee.  Tears ran down her sweet little cheeks while many tried to calm her down.  She continually called out, “Daddy!  Daddy!  Daddy!”  Her cousins wouldn’t do, not aunts or uncles, and, while this is hard to admit, mommy didn’t even make the cut.  It wasn’t until her daddy swooped her up and comforted her that she began to settle down.  He hugged her and let her know he was there and it would be ok.  While this story could evoke jealousy in me, the mama, instead I will choose to chalk it up as a good analogy to use.
 
We all go through pain, hurts and struggles.  It’s inevitable.  It’s not IF, it’s WHEN.  It’s revealed over and over in His Word, that “God is full of compassion and comfort.”  I love Paul’s description in II Corinthians 1:3, “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…” This brings great peace.
 
But how do we feel His compassion and comfort?  When we get stung in this life, who do we cry out to?  Have we developed an intimate relationship with our Heavenly Father to the point that we call out HIS NAME in our time of pain?  Or do we turn to other sources?  Where do we turn?  Are there things we DO to try and ease our pain – eat chocolate, go shopping, draw back in seclusion?
 
We have a Father who is ready for us to come running to Him.  This passage goes on to say this in verse 4, “…so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.”  Jesus understands sorrow, and He understands the source of comfort.  “…He began to be deeply distressed and troubled.  ‘My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death’…He fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from Him.  ‘Abba, Father,’”, Mark 14:33-36.  Oh Father, I know you can make this better!  And of course, the next line is, “…yet not my will but yours.”  Ok, ready for this?  Jesus was full of sorrow and deeply troubled about what He was about to face.  He called out to His Father, the one He knows well.  As much as He wanted to count on His disciples to be there with Him and pray, well, that didn’t turn out so well – they fell asleep!  But His Father heard Him.  Here’s the Heavenly comfort.  Luke’s version of the sorrow in Gethsemane includes this, “An angel from heaven appeared to Him and strengthened Him!”  That is SO awesome!  As Luke continues, I notice that His sorrow doesn’t end.  It goes on to say, “And being in anguish, He prayed more earnestly…”  God gave Jesus what He needed when He needed it. 
 
If you are deeply distressed and overwhelmed with sorrow, know that your Father in heaven cares.  As you cry Abba, Father, keep an eye out for what He will send from heaven to comfort you and strengthen you.  How do we feel this comfort from our Heavenly Father?  As we turn to Him in our troubles, maybe we experience a peace wash over us – or maybe you wake up in the morning and discover a new sense of strength to persevere.  Perhaps the God of all comfort pours a picture of hope in your situation that maybe you haven’t seen before.  Sometimes He nudges those who know what you are going through to physically give you a hug and words of encouragement. 
 
Have you turned your sorrow over to Him yet?  The search for comfort can end as you run into His arms, offering you just what you need, when you need it!  Voice your sorrows and pain to Him now.  What comfort does He have for you?  Is He nudging you to comfort another one of His children?