by Matthew W. Bassford<\/p>\n
There are all too many people who want to hold God to promises He’s never made. They get sick, and they blame Him for not keeping them healthy. They run into financial hardship, and they grumble because He hasn’t helped them prosper. They’re single and unhappy, and they claim it’s His fault that they aren’t married.<\/p>\n
The problem is that God never has promised Christians that they would be healthy and rich and have great family lives. We might have set our hearts on these things, but that’s a sure sign that we are seeking treasure on earth, not in heaven. The God who unfailingly grants them is the God of our own imaginations, not the God of the Bible.<\/p>\n
However, God has made us some astounding promises, and one of them appears in II Corinthians 1:3-7. He does not promise to shield us from suffering. Indeed, the structure of the passage implies that the godly can expect to suffer. Nonetheless, in the midst of that suffering, God will bestow His comfort.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/comfort-300x200.jpg\")
As do all Christians who have sought the Lord through trial, I’ve experienced God’s faithfulness to His promise. It is true in my current distress, and it was true 13 years ago when my daughter was unexpectedly stillborn at full term. Lauren and I suffered. Indeed, we suffered greatly.<\/p>\n
Our suffering, though, did not overwhelm us. We did not commit suicide. We did not get divorced. We did not become alcoholics or drug addicts. We avoided the double disasters that befall parents who lose children.<\/p>\nThis is not to our credit, except to the extent that we chose to lean on the Lord and His people. Instead, it was due to the brethren both far and near who cared for us in our grief. They came to the funeral (some traveled hundreds or thousands of miles), they brought food, they visited, they sent cards, they sent money, and they prayed. It was due also to the God who worked through them and in ways beyond my understanding. We mourned (and still mourn), but we were (and are) comforted.
\nHowever, Paul points out that this blessing carries an obligation with it too. We are supposed to take the comfort that God showers on us and use it to comfort others. Lauren and I certainly were on the receiving end of this. Some of the most memorable, helpful conversations we had during that dark time were with Christians who also had lost children.\n
Ever since, we have tried to pay it forward. Most Christians are at a loss about how to deal with others whose children have died. We aren’t. That’s a familiar country to us. When we hear of someone in that position, we try to reach out. We call. We write. We attend funerals with heartbreakingly small caskets. We trust that the God who used others to bless us will use us to bless others.<\/p>\n
It’s easy for human beings to camp out in their misery and affliction. I know the temptation well. However, as disciples of the Man of Sorrows, we have a higher calling. We must allow our griefs to refine us and teach us compassion. When we do, God can use us in even the greatest tragedies to reveal His comfort and love.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
by Matthew W. Bassford There are all too many people who want to hold God to promises He’s never made. They get sick, and they blame Him for not keeping them healthy. They run into financial hardship, and they grumble because He hasn’t helped them prosper. They’re single and unhappy, and they claim it’s His…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[359,652,182],"class_list":["post-42420","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-article","tag-comfort","tag-grief","tag-suffering"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":55600,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/comfort-for-the-depressed\/","url_meta":{"origin":42420,"position":0},"title":"Comfort for the Depressed","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"November 7, 2006","format":false,"excerpt":"by Johnny Felker In II Corinthians 1, Paul discusses what must have been one of the lowest points in his life, a time filled with deep feelings of anxiety and despair. He reports that in Asia he was \"burdened excessively, beyond... strength\" so that he \"despaired even of life\", having\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/11\/depressed.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":46994,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/gods-promises-to-the-faithful\/","url_meta":{"origin":42420,"position":1},"title":"God\u2019s Promises to the Faithful","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"April 27, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"by Matthew W. Bassford No matter how many times I read the Bible, I always find something new in it. Nor are these discoveries subtle or inconsequential. Often, they are magnificent! So it was with this week's Bible reading. I'm familiar with Revelation. I've taught it several times and read\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Natural_Water_Spring-200x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":32155,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/when-are-promises-binding\/","url_meta":{"origin":42420,"position":2},"title":"When are promises binding?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 15, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Does it work like this? When we make a promise we are bound to do what we promised. The moment we confess and are sorry for making any promise we had made that very moment the binding is removed and has no more hold over us ever again after\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":68973,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/jesus-wept-at-human-pain-and-hurt\/","url_meta":{"origin":42420,"position":3},"title":"Jesus Wept at Human Pain and Hurt","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"July 23, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"by Terry Wane Benton He saw and cared deeply about how His disciples hurt over Lazarus' death (John 11). Jesus cared so deeply that He wept with them. He suffered with them, and He knew the larger plan would be to raise Lazarus so that more good could come out\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":25069,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/exceedingly-abundantly\/","url_meta":{"origin":42420,"position":4},"title":"Exceedingly Abundantly","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"October 22, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"by Simon Harris God, please use Kelsey to bring glory to your Name. We know the odds are against us, but we trust in You. Please use our daughter as a living example of Your power to heal, that all may glorify You as the Great God of Heaven. That\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":30244,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/why-do-we-not-follow-the-old-law-but-continue-to-teach-the-prophecies-found-in-the-old-testament\/","url_meta":{"origin":42420,"position":5},"title":"Why do we not follow the Old Law but continue to teach the prophecies found in the Old Testament?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"November 14, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Why do we not follow the rules or commandments of the Old Testament but continue to keep teaching the prophecy of the Old Testament? Why didn't the Old Testament prophecy get nailed to the cross too? Thanks. Answer: \"And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42420","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=42420"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42420\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=42420"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=42420"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=42420"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}