Comfort

One thing about writing daily that continues to amaze me are the patterns in my thinking. A picture that comes to mind is watching waves on the shore. They ebb and flow. they crash and recede. Over and over and over again. Sometimes the waves are incredibly strong. Sometimes the waves are small and quiet. Yet, as you sit and watch the waves, there is a rhythm. There is life.

An example for me is my writing on December 24th. I wrote of Simeon and the phrase, the consultation of Israel. Jesus came to be our comfort. And what comfort that is to me. So much so that in my distress I find myself in 2 Corinthians 1 and here is the word again. Comfort. Repeated 9 times in four verses. I’ll define it again.

means "a calling to one's side" (para, "beside," kaleo, "to call"); hence, either "an exhortation, or consolation, comfort," e.g., Luk 2:25 (here "looking for the consolation of Israel" is equivalent to waiting for the coming of the Messiah); Luk 6:24; Act 9:31; Rom 15:4, 5; 1Cr 14:3, "exhortation;" 2Cr 1:3-7 
Vine’s Dictionary

“Blessed [gratefully praised and adored] be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort, who comforts and encourages us in every trouble so that we will be able to comfort and encourage those who are in any kind of trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For just as Christ’s sufferings are ours in abundance [as they overflow to His followers], so also our comfort [our reassurance, our encouragement, our consolation] is abundant through Christ [it is truly more than enough to endure what we must]. But if we are troubled and distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; or if we are comforted and encouraged, it is for your comfort, which works [in you] when you patiently endure the same sufferings which we experience. And our hope for you [our confident expectation of good for you] is firmly grounded [assured and unshaken], since we know that just as you share as partners in our sufferings, so also you share as partners in our comfort.”
‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭1‬:‭3‬-‭7‬ ‭AMP‬‬ (coloring mine)
https://bible.com/bible/1588/2co.1.3-7.AMP

This comfort comes only from God. This comfort comes when we are in distress. We do not keep this comfort to ourselves. We comfort those around us. What he has poured in, we, in turn, pour out. That bittersweet truth that cannot be explained adequately.

In this world we will have trouble. It is promised. Any doctrine that decries another gospel is false. There will be pain. there will be suffering.

“I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace. In the world you have tribulation and distress and suffering, but be courageous [be confident, be undaunted, be filled with joy]; I have overcome the world.” [My conquest is accomplished, My victory abiding.]”
‭‭John‬ ‭16‬:‭33‬ ‭AMP‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/1588/jhn.16.33.AMP

I will come again and again, like the waves, back to this truth. Our comfort is Christ. In him alone, I place my trust.