What is comfort? A big screen TV, a plush Barcalounger, your favorite movie and a large bowl of popcorn? The macaroni and cheese your mom used to make, or a gooey chocolate cake? My personal favorite, 400 thread count Egyptian cotton sheets on a Select Comfort bed with a dual control electric blanket?

Definitions of “comfort” on the Web:
1. a state of being relaxed and feeling no pain
2. a feeling of freedom from worry or disappointment
3. ease: a freedom from financial difficulty that promotes a comfortable state
4. give moral or emotional strength to
5. lessen pain or discomfort; alleviate
6. consolation: the act of consoling; giving relief in affliction

Of the top six definitions, three have to do with physical comfort that we rest in, and three have to do with receiving, or delivering comfort, including emotional and physical comfort.

As Christians, we should view comfort not as a circumstance or a condition, but as a gift, or an act. In 2 Corinthians, it says “Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort, He comforting us in all our trouble, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in every trouble, through the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds by Christ. And if we are troubled, it is for your consolation and salvation, being worked out in the endurance of the same sufferings which we also suffer; if we are comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation. And our hope of you is certain, knowing that as you are partakers of the sufferings, so also of the consolation.” (2 Corinthians 1:3-7)

What did Paul know about comfort? Well, of the first three definitions provided above, not too much, that is, not much after the road to Damascus. He knew quite a bit before then, he was a man of stature in the community and I’m sure lived a comfortable life, even if he wasn’t a slave to it. But of definitions four through six, Paul was a bona fide expert.

Comfort, in the passage above, is defined this way:
G3870
παρακαλέω
parakaleō
par-ak-al-eh’-o
From G3844 and G2564; to call near, that is, invite, invoke (by imploration, hortation or consolation): – beseech, call for, (be of good) comfort, desire, (give) exhort (-ation), intreat, pray.

G3874
παράκλησις
paraklēsis
par-ak’-lay-sis
From G3870; imploration, hortation, solace: – comfort, consolation, exhortation, intreaty.

Blessed are they who mourn: for they shall be comforted.Matthew 5:4

Our troubles are an invitation to draw near to God. His comfort calls us near; troubles help us hear the call and give us the motivation to answer it. We can always pray for thorns to be removed, as Paul did, but we MUST rejoice when He chooses for the thorns to stay, because it is for our benefit – to draw us closer to him. We must allow the thorns to have the intended effect – to draw us nearer to God, which ultimately glorifies Him and shows His power.

Brent Detwiler of Sovereign Grace Ministries delivered the sermon yesterday, and one of the many things he said that really stuck with me is that pain is a magnet for God’s love.

“For this reason, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in troubles, in persecutions, in distresses on behalf of Christ; for whenever I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:10) In our weakness and affliction, we become stronger in our faith, because we see once again that we are pressed but not crushed, persecuted but not abandoned, struck down yet not destroyed. We are better equipped to minister to other people after these times of great suffering that we endured and came out not just okay but praising His name. Our chief purpose is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever. The sufferings of Christians who are comforted by God, glorify Him.

As Brent said, when trouble came, Paul said, “I delight” not “I renounce” or “I bind” or “I rebuke.” I can only pray that I will do the same, and continue to look for the day when “God will wipe away all tears from their eyes. And there will be no more death, nor mourning, nor crying out, nor will there be any more pain; for the first things passed away.” (Revelation 21:4)

Hooray, I have internet again! At least for the moment – service in New Orleans and the surrounding areas is still very spotty. This week’s sermon impacted me a great deal. We’re all struggling with the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita – and now that Wilma is on the horizon, this is even more timely. (You can listen to the whole sermon here; this post only addresses the first 17 minutes of a sermon that was one hour and 8 minutes long – and worth every second! )

With Katrina, it’s been an emotional battle, a battle against our desires to have things our way. We’ve all had our faith and our understanding of God’s purpose and power adjusted with the hurricane itself, the long evacuation, returning to see the destruction and the continuing destruction as local businesses fold and outside businesses take over. None of these events are strange or unrelated to our walk with God.

1 Peter 4:12-13 reminds us that we are beloved. When Peter wrote this, the church was in chaos, people were being killed in the arenas, crucified, their property was being taken, their lives were being destroyed. Remember that major, serious problems are normal but we are called to rejoice in all things. God has always used evil to a greater purpose; to move his people to a better place. Because of indwelling sin, people will not move forward unless we have to – we get comfortable and want to stay!

• He sold Joseph sold into slavery and put in prison, and sent a famine to drive Jacob and his family to Egypt to reunite with Joseph. They were saved from starvation, but more importantly it was in Egypt that the Jews developed into a nation.
• The slaughter of the children in Egypt was the reason Moses’ mother put him in the basket in the Nile, which led to him being raised in Pharoah’s household.
• He rose up Goliath in order to bring David to prominence.
• Jesus had to be crucified in order to be resurrected.

All of these connected events served the greater purpose. We have opportunities to serve the Lord now, and the results of that service may ripple down through the ages. A hundred years from now what will people say about how God’s church reacted to Katrina? [One real problem today is many Christian's reaction to tragedy. They ask why God didn't prevent it. The view that God is playing catch-up ball, constantly on the defense against evil, is faulty. Does the God who knew you before you were made, knows every hair on your head and every word you will speak, who knows where every sparrow falls, not know where Hurricane Wilma will hit? Was He surprised that Katrina destroyed so much of the Gulf Coast? Did he wake up from a nap and say, "Oh dear, it's too late to turn the hurricane now, it will have to hit New Orleans and Biloxi and I'll just help them clean up as best they can." You need to face the facts: God wanted this to happen. This was deliberate. And He did it for your benefit. You need to be grateful. Go read Job.]

We often forget when we read the stories of the great men and women of the old testament that what made these men and women mighty was God. James said in James 5:17 “Elijah was a man just like us.”

1 Kings 17-18
Elijah had a huge victory – the rain was stopped for three years then started on his request, he raised the widow’s son, all the prophets of Baal were defeated and killed. God was glorified.

When Elijah experienced the storm in his life (Jezebel) he was overwhelmed. He panicked and ran, in spite of the clear evidence of God’s power and work in his life. When he arrived at Mt. Horeb, in 1 Kings 19:9, God asked “What are you doing here, Elijah?” God showed his power, reminded him that He had been with Elijah the whole time, and asked again, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” (Why did you run from this woman?) And in 1 Kings 19:15, God told him to get back to work.

We can question God, as Job did, but at the end of the day, we have to bow to his greater wisdom, knowledge and power. If we get bogged down in what we have lost, we will completely miss the greater lessons involved here. This is NOT our home. Our home is eternal, and this world is not eternal. None of these things were ours to begin with. We are stewards of God’s property – we’re not the owners, we’re the servants. We have ample evidence of His love for us. Now, more than ever, we have to remember that running from the problem (our attitudes, feelings, emotions, thoughts about Katrina and Rita’s destruction) is running away from the presence of God – because God is fully in the midst of those problems, loving us, knowing the number of hairs on our heads, waiting to offer us comfort and joy.