A God Of All Comfort
Randall Caselman
1/15/97
A God Of All Comfort
A distorted view of God can inhibit our daily walk with Him. For instance, some see God as their conscience. They view God as that small inner voice which convicts them of wrong and makes them feel guilty. Others see God as a cosmic Santa Claus, one who exists only for the purpose of satisfying our wants and wishes. Still others see Him as a celestial policeman. They view God as one who is just waiting for us to do something wrong so He can punish.
The Bible tells us where we can find a proper view of God.
The one and only, who is at the Father’s side, has made Him known. Jesus came to give us a proper view of God and what He is like. How should we see God?
See Him as a friend. Solomon says,
There is a friend that sticks closer than a brother. God is a friend that never fails us. As a friend He knows our problems. Regardless of how sad the moment, how dark the night, how lonely the road, how rough the path... God is near. The Hebrew's writer tells us that
God will never leave us, never forsake us. The Lord is my helper; so I will not be afraid. David asked, Where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the maker of heaven and earth.
Indeed,
My God and I go in the fields together, we walk and talk as good friends should and do; we clasp our hands, our voices ring with laughter, my God and I walk through the meadow’s hue. What a comfort it is to know that God is our friend.
God is our Shepherd. David saw God as his guide, His counselor and comforter. He is our provider and sustainer. He leads us in paths of righeousness. He gives us inward renewal. He accompanies us in the valley of death. He uses His resources to care, heal, discipline and comfort us. It is in him that we live, move and have our being. He blesses us in this life until our cup overflows, and then He takes us home to the Father’s house. God's loving kindness follows us wherever we go. As a shepherd, He never withholds anything that is good for us.
God is our Father. Think of the comfort that comes from knowing that the creator, sustainer, protector, provider of the whole universe is our Father. He knows all our needs. He hears our prayers. Even when we don’t know what to ask for, He supplies.
In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus gives us these words of comfort.
Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?
You see as a father,
He works all things out to our benefit... All good and perfect gifts come from Him.
God is our Savior. Too many of us have exiled God and His work to the past. We see Him working in the lives of people like Abraham, Moses, Ruth, Mary, Peter and Paul, but fail to see Him as a present reality in our own lives. In Ephesians three, Paul says
we should give God the glory through Jesus, because He is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us.
God's redemptive power is alive and at work today. John 3.16 is still true. God still loves the world, and He still saves those who believe on Jesus as His Son.
In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace.
What is our view of God? Are we daily enjoying the comfort found only in the Father’s house? Know God! Come to Jesus! See the Father! Obey His commandments! Enjoy His blessings!
When upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed,
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings, name them one by one,
Count your many blessings, see what God has done.
—Randall Caselman
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