Life can be tough for Christians. In the Bible God never promised that being a Christian would immune any of us from facing trials and tribulations in life. Some of you know that all too well!

But God did promise that whatever troubles life might throw our way, He will comfort us during the difficult hours (2 Corinthians 1:3-5). How exactly does God do this? I fear that for many Christians they do not understand the answer to this question. And since they struggle with grasping this concept correctly, in their hour of need they miss the powerful consolation that God is eager to extend to them.

Here are at least three ways that God comforts His people.

God comforts His people through His people.

  • Paul gives instructions about this in 1 Thessalonians 5:14.
    • You ever had brethren support you when you lost a loved one?
    • You had them be there for when you were in the hospital?
    • You ever had them encourage you when you confessed sin?
    • If you have experienced these things, God was comforting you through His people.
  • This is why God allows His people to suffer at various times.
    • In 2 Corinthians 1:3-5, Paul teaches that God can use the trials we face to help other members of the spiritual family who also may be suffering.
    • For this process to work properly we must do two things. First, we need to let God use us in this way (Galatians 6:2). Second, we need to let others comfort us when we are facing difficult moments.

God comforts His people through His promises.

  • This is how God comforted those in Thessalonica (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).
  • What does God promise His people today?
    • He promises to help us defeat the devil (1 Corinthians 10:13).
    • He promises to always be with us (Matthew 28:20).
    • He promises that His word will always lead and guide us (Psalm 119:105).
    • He promises to hear our cries (Psalm 34:15).
    • He promises to come back and receive us to Himself (John 14:1-3).

God comforts His people through His providence.

  • In the Bible we can read about God working in the lives of people in two ways.
    • Sometimes He works miraculously (Matthew 8-10).
    • Sometimes He works providentially.
  • Unlike when God works miraculously, providence is when God works through natural means. It is when God is doing things that we may be unaware of in our lives.
    • We find God working this way in the life of Joseph (Genesis 50:20).
    • We also find God working this way in the like of Esther (Esther 4:14), Hezekiah (2 Kings 20:1-7), Cyrus (Isaiah 44:28), and Paul (Acts 23:12-22).
    • While the times of miracles have ceased (1 Corinthians 13:8-13), God continues to work in the lives of His people. God continues to work behind the scenes to bring about good in the lives of His people!

Conclusion: God does not leave us alone when we begin to struggle in our lives. Instead He gives us a vast array of tools to encourage and build us up.