2 Corinthians 1:3-4:
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.
I have always been encouraged by this passage. In this passage, Paul is praising and reminding us of the compassionate mercies and
comfort found only in God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. He is telling us that
this comfort is so bountiful, so filling, so amazing that we will be able to help
comfort others...we can share this comfort.
In our culture where things are pretty...well, comfortable we can tend to overlook
the deep and true meaning of this amazing promise. Over time certain words can
become watered down or somehow taken for granted. As such, I do love to dig and
find the richness of some words. So guess what; I began to think what is this word
comfort and how is it being used here?
In Greek the word comfort is paraklēsis and while it does mean physical ease and
freedom from pain, consolation for grief or anxiety, it also has this deeper meaning
of encouragement and refreshment. It is so much more than a mere physical
cushioning.
J. I. Packer describes this passage as follows:
“This is a far stronger statement than might appear, because the English word
comfort, both as a noun and as a verb, has lost so much of its meaning. When, back in
the sixteenth century, it was chosen for the translation of these verses, it meant what
the Greek verb means, namely, renewal of strength through encouragement. Today,
when comfort suggests only some form of cushioning, making comfortable, and
reducing pain, it is easy to miss the true thrust of what Paul is saying. Paul is praising
God for his endless supply of strength to keep us going and rising to every occasion,
and Paul is assuring the Corinthians hereby that though they may think of him as
down, he is no out yet.”
Father, thank you that you are the God of all comfort, that you and you alone are the
source for refreshment, our comfort and renewal and strength and encouragement!
Help this comfort; this renewal of strength through encouragement, overflow from our lives to others in need; all for your Glory!
Grace and Peace!
Romans 11:33
Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How
unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out.
I have been thinking about the wisdom of God lately. Dwelling on it really. I think
that today we have watered down the meaning of wisdom. We ask God to give us
wisdom in times of indecision, but don’t we just mean help us make a good decision.
Have we watered down wisdom to being smart in a certain circumstance?
If we truly stop long enough to understand this attribute of God, I think we would be
in awe...as we should.
The Westminster Dictionary of Theological Terms defines wisdom as “knowledge of
what is good and true; the basis for knowing what is true or false.” I think this a fine
technical definition, but to me there is more to God’s wisdom. I think this definition
provides for the intellect but perhaps not the heart.
I am in the middle of re-reading Concise Theology by J. I. Packer and on wisdom he
states; “wisdom in scripture means choosing the best and noblest end at which to
aim, along with the most appropriate and effective means to it.”
So if I combine the two thoughts it might approach a glimpse of this amazing
attribute of God...wisdom. Knowledge of what is good and true, with the heart and
foundation to always choose the best and noblest end at which to aim and the most
appropriate and effective means to it...
God is so amazing and beyond our comprehension, yet isn’t it so comforting, so
encouraging to know our all-wise God?
Daniel 2:20
Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are his.
Grace and Peace!
I am kind of known around these parts for my singing abilities; not. Anyone that
knows me would probably tell you that while I might have some abilities in
something, singing would not be one of them. However, I do love music and there is
a song out that just sticks with me. It is “Remind Me Who I Am” by Jason Gray.
While it is a catchy tune, there really is a great message behind it. Ephesians 1:3-8
tells us:
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in
the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in
him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance
with his pleasure and will to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely
given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the
forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished
on us.
To me this is so comforting and so encouraging and so to the point; with the point
being that as believers no matter where we are or what we are facing, no matter the
struggle or trial, no matter how lost we find ourselves, we can take heart as a much
loved child of God. Romans 8:38-39 reminds us:
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,
neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor
anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that
is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
To use a lyric from Jason’s song as my prayer for us all; Father God, “In the loneliest
places when I can’t remember what Grace is, Remind me who I am.”
Grace and Peace!
