Our Greatest Source Of Comfort

Our Greatest Source of Comfort

There is a lot of pain and suffering in this world. Back in my younger more wilder days, I used to deaden the source of my pain with things that I thought would offer relief from the emptiness, suffering and anxiety that I was experiencing. I kept indulging myself with things that could only temporally block out my suffering but the truth was they could never cure the source of it. At the time I felt like this was an acceptable solution to my inner source of pain problem plus, in reality, I just didn't wan to face reality. I wanted to live in my own surrealistic Utopian dream. I did not know at the time that the real source of my pain was the God sized hole that could only be filled by Him. I spent most of my time trying to fill this hole with other things.

You see back then I didn't have any frame of reference that would indicate that calling out to God and being in relationship with Him would fill the void in my life. In fact, I was always running from God even though I did not understand that's what I was doing at the time. 

Later on I began to let God in the back door of my life. This was a halfhearted attempt to get God to answer my self-centered prayers and provide for me materialistically along with the desires that I had to live a

comfortable life. I also had issues with sin and still refused to let go of my old self and old ways of thinking.. The problem was this, I wanted to live my life with me at the center of my universe. I still wanted to do life my way and even worshiped everything but God. This verse from Romans can explain what my life looked life before my real relationship with God. 

Romans 1:21-23 NLT

Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn't worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began

to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused.

Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools.  And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles.

Yes, I knew about God but refused to acknowledge Him as Lord of my life. In fact, when I was in College I did everything I could to mock Him and dishonor His name.

Many years later after “wandering through the desert for about 40 years” I read the Bible and was convinced

that Jesus was the Messiah for the Gentiles and the Jews. For me this was the beginning of my new life, a life of change and transformation. Instead of living my life dedicated solely for my own pleasure, I had this new desire to set myself apart to God and live for His pleasure. The Holy Spirit was the source of my transformation and becoming a follower of Jesus meant that the Holy Spirit was my new source of wisdom and comfort as well. I no longer desired to live as I did in the past. I had a new life, a new self, a new hope, and the promises of God. I had been saved, rescued from myself, forgiven by God's amazing grace. 

Looking back I used to think that my comfort was based on the environment I lived in, and the lifestyle I was accustomed to. 

My comfort is now is not based on how I feel, but the level of my faith and trust in God and His promises.

My comfort is knowing that God loves me, has forgiven me and has promised me an eternity full of joy free from pain and suffering.  

So now I can say to others that my greatest source of comfort has come through my relationship with Jesus. Through Him I have received the Holy Spirit who is my Counselor, my Teacher and my Comforter. 

Ways in which I receive comfort from the Holy Spirit:

The Holy Spirit Confirms God’s Love:

Romans 5:5 NIV

And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

The Holy Spirit encourages us when we are weak:

Romans 8:26 NIV

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but

the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.

The Holy Spirit fills us with hope:

Romans 15:13 NIV

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit gives us supernatural rest, fellowship and reminds us about the things Jesus said

Matthew 11:28-29 New International Version 1984 

 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

2 Corinthians 13:14 NIV

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

John 14:26

But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

The Holy Spirit inspires Joy and helps us receive the message of the Gospel:

1 Thessalonians 1:6 NIV

 You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message

with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit guides us, teaches us and enlightens us with God’s Truth:

John 16:13-16 NIV

But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you.

1 Corinthians 2:12-13 NIV

We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.

The Greatest Source of Comfort: The Peace of God

Philippians 4:6-7 NIV

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

So comfort is more like a reassurance from God that He loves us and has a great plan for our lives

now and for all eternity. Only through a real relationship with Jesus will we experience this supernatural

kind of comfort. 

Just Sayin………………..Dave