The God of all Comfort

November 28, 2017

³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, ⁴ who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

¹¹ You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many.

2 Corinthians 1:3,4,11

I am truly amazed at the fact that with God, there are no coincidences. He pleasantly surprises me every day. He is so good to me despite my faults and failures. Sometimes I cannot help but smile thinking about how He has arranged things in my life that I thought were some of the worst things I ever went through all for His glory and my good.

Who would have thought that losing a baby would be the thing that would send me on this journey to joy? This blog came about out of the darkest time in my life. Out of deep depression and despair came renewal and true JOY.

Who would believe that my husband losing his job in 2013 would blaze the way for our family to grow closer? The journey we went on for 6 months that drew us closer was possible because of him getting fired. Our family finding ways to serve at Spiritual Twist Productions was made possible because of that job loss and my husband finding a new job.

God is truly a compassionate God who loves us for much more than we can ever fathom. There are no words to explain how much He loves us.

Even in our pain. Even in our despair and sorrow. Even on the worst of days. Even when we feel like we cannot go on and we do not understand. Even when we are angry. Even when we are so lost that we cannot utter words.

He is there. He is truly “the Father of Mercies and God of all comfort.”

This morning as I was doing my devotions I was brought to the passage in 2 Corinthians. Verses 3 and 4 became very special to me as I was healing from the loss of our sweet Asa. The Lord just kept bringing me back to these verses. I felt like He was preparing me for a greater work. I had to go through the loss of Asa to get me to the point where I would grow closer to the Lord. All through that trial the Lord just kept bringing to my mind that He had a greater work for me and this was part of it.

I am the person I am today because I had the awesome privilege of carrying Asa for those 18 weeks. His loss made me stronger. For 18 weeks I got to take care of him and then he got to pass right into heaven. His very first breath was heavenly. What an amazing gift for my sweet Asa. To know no pain. To celebrate every day with Jesus. To only hear heavenly singing and worship.

Sure, I miss him every day. There are times when I wish so hard that he was here with me. That I would have the chance to hold him and inhale that sweet baby smell. That I could be watching him walk and talk. That I could snuggle with him and hear him sing along with his siblings. Yes, I miss him every day.

I just keep having to remind myself of what Isaiah 55:9 says.

^“9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
    so are my ways higher than your ways
    and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

I may never know all the reasons why Asa only lived for those 18 weeks.

I take comfort in the fact that what I learned through those dark days and the healing and growth that took place after his loss can one day be used to bring comfort to another person going through the same thing. That is where I find true comfort and peace. God is working in me to pour into the life of someone else who is hurting.

This Thanksgiving season I have truly been able to give thanks for the 18 weeks that Asa grew inside me.

I give thanks for the man that Wilson Brant was. The example and influence he was to my family.

I give thanks for the influence of Pam Park in my life. The prayer warrior she was.

I give thanks for the life of Hester Holder and the humble woman she was.

I give thanks for Carl’s job loss in 2013 and the wonderful path it led us to.

I give thanks for not being able to see my sister, Jen, in 2 ½ years because she is spreading the gospel message to the people of Spain.

I give thanks for my sister, Kellie, serving as a pastor’s wife in Colorado and pouring God’s love into the people of Grand Junction, Colorado.

I give thanks for watching my parents struggle with medical problems and the strength and love I see in them both through it all. What an example to those around them.

I give thanks for so much. Blessing from the sorrows AND the joys. Both have made me the woman I am today. All the circumstances of my life and watching the strength of those in my life and those who have gone on to heaven. All has led me to where I am today. Sharing with all of you.

God is truly good.

This morning He led me to the same chapter in 2 Corinthians but a different verse. I have been writing verses about thanksgiving and today was 2 Corinthians 1:11.

¹¹ You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many.

I recall the prayers that were said to the Lord on my behalf when I was in the midst of deep depression because of the loss of Asa. The prayers of many women went before the throne of God. They were part of the reason why I was able to start healing. I remember 4 or 5 ladies gathered around me in my living room praying over me as I sat crying.

I think of a wonderful lady I know who would stop mid conversation to just pray about something I had shared with her.

I think of all the women and men in my life who have told me they were praying for me and I know that it was not just lip service. They truly were lifting me and my family up in prayer to God.

I can hear the voice of several women during the Empowered production who prayed with such passion that I just wanted to hit record on my phone so I could go back and here their prayers over and over again.

I recall times in my War Room where God has just laid a certain person on my mind that I had to pray for only to find out that at that exact moment in time they were going through a trial and needed prayer.

I remember waking up from a dead sleep to pray for my brother in law, Michael overseas. At that moment his vehicle was under enemy fire and they were waiting for air support. That same night God woke up my two sisters and my mom too. We all prayed from 3 different states that Michael would be delivered. God answered that prayer and Michael and my sister are now spreading the Good News of Jesus to the people of Spain.

I recently recall falling on my knees to God praying for the Brant family when I found out about the loss of Wilson. My tears were the words that I could not express to God.

²⁶ Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.

Romans 8:26

Prayer is so important to the life of a believer. We get such a blessing from praying on behalf of others. The people that God places on our hearts to pray for get blessed and so do we. God has just been putting this on my heart lately. The gentle leading of the Holy Spirit to pray for someone is for their benefit but also for ours. Both parties get a blessing and God gets all the glory.

That is what God has placed on my heart today. I hope that it blesses you. If the Lord places someone on your heart today to pray for them, obey the Spirit’s prompting and be obedient. You never know what impact those prayers will have.

I leave you with a song that someone else shared today on Facebook. It me as I brought me comfort today as I think about those that who have gone on to be with Jesus.