Minister’s Blog

God will comfort us in all our sorrows and troubles as promised in Paul’s second letter to the Corinth church in 1:3,5. Paul speaks of God as the “Father of mercies and God of all comfort who will comfort us in all our affliction.” We all need comfort when trouble, sorrow, and worry invades our lives. I never question God’s promise to comfort us because I have received His mercy and comfort more than I can remember.

My struggle with God’s promise to comfort us is my expectations are not on the same time schedule as God’s timetable. The culture’s ever increasing sense of urgency and instant satisfaction has contaminated my patience with God’s timing. We enjoy instant cofee, ten minute oil changes, fast food restaurants, instant emails, fast speed Internet connections, and two-minute microwave meals. Therefore, we are conditioned to expect instant and fast relief from the God of our comfort. Life has taught us God is not working His will on a drive thru comfort order with pickup at the next window. God is at work in our time and space but He comforts us from His reference point of eternity with our eternal needs in mind.

I have learned that we humans require about two years to accept and adjust to major losses in our lives. Some of us may require less time while some may need more time for healing and restoration. When I pray for others in need of physical healing, financial recovery, and positive changes in a marriage I want to stand before God with my stop watch running. “How long, O Lord?” “Will we get it as fast as a burger, fries and a drink or fried chicken?” If God chooses to rescue us quickly we want to be ready to accept His help. However, the eternal God who created us and redeemed us does not usually give out 30 second answers to our prayers.

After God comforts us He wants us to comfort others who are in distress. The first purpose for God’s work of comfort on us is to comfort others with the comfort we have received because we love others as we love ourselves. We pray, hope and wait. God will answer according to His wisdom and mercy. “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.” (2 Cor. 1:3,4)

In His Love,
Terry Jones, Senior Minister