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 is in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.”

My parents are driving away from me, I know they are crying. My brother is in the back seat of the car looking out at me and I can see him screaming, his little hands on the window. Tears are coursing down his face.

I remember wondering why everyone was crying.

I can see myself waving, a little unsure. At 6 years old I wasn’t used to being left on my own, far from home and in a strange boarding school.

Fast forward many years and I found myself at a Christian summer camp hosted by our church. By this time I was married and had 3 small children of my own.

Normally I didn’t like going to summer camps or anywhere for that matter that caused me to search too deeply into my wounded heart. My way of dealing with life’s hardships was to bury them and pretend they weren’t there.

But this particular year, at this particular camp the Lord decided it was time for me to figure a few things out.

Rather than having a service in the morning, the adult group decided to have an informal Bible study which I thought wouldn’t be too threatening.

The Bible study was powerful.

I fought back the anxiety that rolled in waves over my bowed head and clenched fists. As the meeting closed and everyone left, I sat alone and desperately afraid. Afraid to face my fear, afraid of exposing things that were so painful I wasn’t sure I’d survive the uncovering.

I began praying. Lord, my heart is so hard. My hurt is so deep. Where were you? How could you have left me as a little child to fend for myself? How can I trust you? You said you’d never leave me and yet I was alone.

I hadn’t cried in years. I often felt emotionally cold and detached. I was aware of the wrong-ness of it. My heart felt like a dam; large and swollen, under tremendous pressure, always ready to burst.

I felt a hand on my shoulder as the camp speaker began praying for me. He had come back to the room, led by the Holy Spirit to return.

“Jesus was with you the day your parents left you at boarding school. Jesus was in your room that night as you cried until you had no tears left. His heart was broken at your pain and he hurt with you. He had his arms wrapped around you as you lay on the top bunk when you purposed in your mind that you would never cry over your family leaving you ever again”, he prayed.

The dam burst and out flowed the lost little girl who felt betrayed, broken, left. You see, up until that time I had never told anyone about that night in boarding school…my tears, which bunk I was sleeping in, how I had hardened my heart. The Lord used a complete stranger to show me how much he cared about my hurt by revealing details only I knew to this pastor.

It was a very personal revelation from God that he had been present in that moment so long ago! He had not left me, even though I couldn’t feel his presence. He comforted me even when I felt so utterly alone. He was there.

Without even realizing it, he gave me the strength to get up the next morning and every morning after that.

I think the big question we’ve all struggled with is this:

God, where are you/were you when I was in so much pain?

The concept of a loving God allowing painful events to happen in our lives is confusing. Shouldn’t we be exempt? I mean, if he could stop it, why doesn’t he? Does he even really love us if he doesn’t stop it?

There’s a ton of theology here but would you allow me to simplify it? Human nature isn’t aligned with God. It’s contrary to God. Everyone sins, everyone needs a Savior.

God is so against sin that the only way to deal with it was to send his Son as a sacrifice in our place; a perfect, holy sacrifice that would take away the sin of the world.

So does sin hurt his heart? Oh yes! And our pain, pains him. Why would he be called the Father of compassion if he didn’t feel our pain and long to console us through all the injustices in the world?

What was the ultimate consolation, the ultimate gift from a loving heavenly Father? He allowed the ultimate pain and suffering of his one and only Son to take place. That was the gift.

God does not shy away from suffering because he knows there is purpose in it. He isn’t weak the way we are. We can’t stand suffering, we abhor pain so much that we’d rather sacrifice our souls than face torment of any kind.

Pain in the hands of the enemy is destruction but pain in the hands of God is revelation. Satan wants our pain to destroy us, God wants to use our pain to mold us into his likeness and character by revealing areas in our lives that are not healthy or holy.

So let’s look at 3 wonderful promises from this verse in 2 Corinthians.

The Promise of Praise

Psalm 22:3 says “Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel.” (ESV) Our God is especially present in our praise! Praise is the power cord that connects us into the very presence of God.

praise be to the God & Father of our Lord Jesus Christ

Give praise to God during your trouble – be thankful in your circumstance. It can be hard to be thankful for the things you are facing, the burden might be too heavy and the chaos in your life too upending. But you can practice being thankful in the middle of it. Practice a heart of gratitude and thanksgiving in all things regardless of any circumstance and watch the power of God show up.

Praise ushers in the full measure of God’s power and might on our behalf.

His light exposes our attitudes and our hearts become ready for his will to be accomplished. And as 1 Thessalonians 5:18 says “Give thanks to God in all circumstance for this is his will for you in Christ Jesus.”

The Promise of his Presence

Hebrews 13:5b-6 “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” So we say with confidence “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid; what can man do to me?””

the Father of compassion

God fathered compassion, it comes from his very being, it embodies his great love for us and desire to be ever-present with us. Psalm 46:1 says that he is our refuge and strength, and ever-present help in times of trouble. (NIV) ESV uses the word “very” present help…you get the picture.

He’s not going anywhere. Ever.

the God of all comfort

He comforts us in all of our troubles. All comfort is a gift to us through Jesus Christ and by the power of the Holy Spirit and it comes directly from the heart of God. He is moved by our pain and is actively comforting us as we walk through seasons of trouble.

So the promise of his presence is that we never travel through life alone. Even if we don’t feel him, he is there. Even if we can’t see his hand, or understand his purpose it is there. We have a great comforter who understands every hurt and fear and is actively present!

The Promise of Participation

Suffering is part of the Christian experience. Having more money is not the path to a deeper relationship with Christ. Having a bigger house or a promotion at work will not draw you deeply into his presence. Suffering will.

who comforts us in all our troubles

Romans 8:16-17 says “The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs heirs of God and fellow heirs of Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.”

A willingness to enter into suffering as a participant with Christ is a sign of spiritual maturity. We don’t draw back, rather we engage in the divine process of knowing the Lord more intimately through our pain. And because of that suffering we will be glorified with him.

so that we can comfort those in any trouble

The gift of suffering with Christ takes on new meaning when we participate in comforting others as they go through their own times of trouble.

We are to comfort others as we have been comforted.

We have the perfect gift to give someone who is hurting, the very comfort we received we are able to pass along. Our story of pain will bring healing to someone else’s heart if we share the comfort we received!

with the comfort we ourselves have received from God

He’s with you just as he was with me all those years ago in my dorm bunk bed. Right now. In your darkest moments when you can’t see your way he is with you. He is your strength when you feel you can’t go on. He is your comfort and hope.

Can I ask you a favor? Be bold enough to share your story with someone this week. There is someone within your scope of influence that badly needs comforting and you may the only one who can reach them effectively.