*Text: 2 Cor. 7: 5-6*
“For indeed, when we came to Macedonia, our bodies had no rest, but we were troubled on every side. Outside were conflicts, inside were fears. Nevertheless God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus”
In a world of trouble, chaos and unrest like ours, comfort is not a luxury but a necessity. Especially for us as children of God in our pursuit to live right, to make a positive impact in our world and to contribute our quota to make our world a better place there will be so much to do and so little time to do it, and so rest will be a scarce commodity. There also will be all manner of trouble and hostility from those who are opposed to the good we are trying to do, in some cases the trouble will be life threatening and so will lead to fear. All of this is enough to lead to frustration and an abandonment of the vision if comfort and encouragement is absent.
This was the experience of the apostle Paul in his quest to take the gospel to the unreached in Macedonia. According to him, he and his co-travelers had no rest and they were troubled on every side, the conflicts and the fears could have made them him abandon the assignment but for the fact that God arranged for them to be comforted and encouraged through the visit of Titus. The apostle described God as the one who comforts the downcast. This implies that it is part of God’s nature to bring comfort and encouragement to His children whenever there is the need for it. So what God did for the apostle Paul, He can do for us as well, He can arrange for us to be comforted and encouraged whenever we are downcast.
To be downcast is to be depressed, to be brought low by the situation or issues of life, to suffer setback, to be demoted, to be afflicted. There is always a rich supply of things that can make one to be downcast in this world and sooner or later we shall be confronted with some of them. We can however take consolation in the fact that when we are confronted with situations or issues that will tend to make us become downcast, we are not alone, God is with us and He will work out a way to bring comfort and encouragement to us, so that we can remain focused on the assignment He has committed into our hands.
God’s comfort and encouragement gives lasting peace, rest and renewed vigor to pursue the actualization of His purpose in our lives. And so whatsoever may be your situation right now – maybe you are downcast, you are perplexed due to the fact that you are surrounded by troubles, look up to God today for comfort and encouragement, prayerfully engage His word, He will not disappoint you, He will send His word of comfort to you. Shalom.
1. Father you are the God of all comfort, I give you praise for the comfort you send to me over and over again to encourage me daily
2. Father, regardless of what I might be going though even at this moment, I refuse to be discouraged, I will not be depressed in Jesus name
3. Father I stand in prayer against every satanic agenda to trouble my rest, it shall not stand in Jesus name
4. Father, as I journey on in this life, I will not be brought low, by your grace, I will continue to climb higher and higher in Jesus name
5. Father, please surround me comforters, I receive your lasting peace, your rest and fresh vigor from you to pursue the actualization of my purpose in life in Jesus name.
