Comfort

A friend is grieving deeply at the moment and in preparation  to ministering to her I looked up the promises God gives to comfort us in our troubles.

2 Corinthians 1:3 tells  God is "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 have received from God"

Isaiah prophesied that the anointing sends "me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favour and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion - to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair"  (Isaiah 61: 1-3)  Jesus claimed this prophesy was referring to him, but it also applies to anyone who is anointed by the Spirit of the Sovereign Lord.

When I mourning after the death of my father I was comforted by the knowledge that God understood my grief - Jesus was a man of sorrows and he carried my sorrows on the cross.  (Isaiah 53) I also found  Lamentation 3:32,33 very helpful. "Though He brings grief, he will show compassion, so great is his unfailing love.  For he does not willingly bring affliction or grief to the children of men" 

Ecclesiastes points out (Eccles 3:4) that "there is a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance"   God promises to comfort us as we mourn Isaiah 57:18 " I will heal him; I will guide him and restore comfort to him, creating praise on the lips of the mourners in Israel.  Peace, peace to those far and near says the Lord. And I will heal them"  He doesn't just bring comfort but healing to the grieving.  In Jeremiah 31:13 God promises "I will turn their mourning into gladness; I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow"   

The writer of Psalm 119 took comfort from God's promises. Verse 50 "Your promise revives me, it comforts me in all my troubles"  and v76 "Let your unfailing love comfort me just as you promised me"

God's word tell me that God is close to the broken hearted (Psalm 34:8) and he heals the broken hearted and binds up their wounds (Psalm 147:3)