Keeping Christ in CHRISTmas Day #3 Comfort this Christmas

Keeping Christ in CHRISTmas – Day #3 - Comfort this Christmas (Luke 2:10)

Comfort this Christmas (Luke 2:10)

Luke 2:10, “And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.”

It’s been said that, “God sometimes snuffs out our brightest candle that we may look up to his eternal stars. God does not comfort us to make us comfortable, but to make us comforters.” As the curtain opens in Isaiah 40, we are confronted with great comfort and a challenge. God said, "Comfort ye my people." In fact, he stressed this issue by repeating it twice. Isaiah 40:1-5, “Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the Lord's hand double for all her sins. The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain: And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.”

Just as a city would prepare the way for the arrival of a king in their town, God's people were to prepare themselves for the arrival of the Lord. Prepare ye the way of the Lord! The glory of the Lord would be revealed. That glory was revealed when Christ came into this world. His coming has been such a huge comfort to people. Christ's comfort is like the little girl who came home from a neighbor's house where her playmate had died. Her father questioned her and asked, "Why did you go?" His little daughter replied, "To comfort her mother." The father continued to inquire, "What could you do to comfort her?" His daughter answered, "I climbed into her lap and cried with her." Jesus came to this sin cursed world, laid in the crib of Bethlehem, our Lord climbed to cry with us, to live with us, to laugh and rejoice with us, to suffer with us, and to die with us. This is the comfort that says much more than simply, "I care about you." This is the comfort that moves into our lives, takes over, overwhelming us with His grace, compassion, love, and mercy.

1. The Promise of Comfort.
Isaiah 66:13, “As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you; and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem.”
Being comfortable is not the same as being comforted. People purchase things to make themselves comfortable but you cannot purchase comfort. Our Lord is our source of comfort. John 14:8, “I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.”

2. The Plentifulness of Christ's Comfort.
II Corinthians 1:5, “For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.”
Not only is God's comfort available, it is abundant. The word "consolation" carries the idea of "comfort."

3. The Provision of Comfort in various Predicaments.
Matthew 5:4, “Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.” II Corinthians 7:5-6, “For, when we were come into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but we were troubled on every side; without were fightings, within were fears. Nevertheless God, that comforteth those that are cast down, comforted us by the coming of Titus…” No matter what circumstances we may face, the Lord can comfort us.

4. The Purpose of Comfort.
Why does the Lord comfort us? One reason is so we can minister to other people. II Corinthians 1:4, “Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.”

5. The Paths of Comfort.
How, whom, or with what does the Lord use to comfort us?

1) The Sovereign Father comforts us.
Comfort begins with what God has done, what God is doing, and what God will do. Isaiah 51:12, “I, even I, am he that comforteth you: who art thou, that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall die, and of the son of man which shall be made as grass…” II Corinthians 1:3, “Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort…”

2) The Spirit of God comforts us.
The word for Messiah is Menahem which means "the comforter." Jesus told us that when He left, we would be given another comforter who would be with us forever. The comforter is the Holy Spirit. The comfort we get from God comes from within us and cannot be taken away from us. John 14:16, “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever…”

3) The Scriptures can comfort us.
We can find peace and comfort by spending time reading God's Word. Get back to the Bible! Read it when you are down, discouraged, depressed, delighted, or feeling defeated. Romans 15:4, “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.” Psalm 119:50-52, “This is my comfort in my affliction: for thy word hath quickened me. The proud have had me greatly in derision: yet have I not declined from thy law. I remembered thy judgments of old, O Lord; and have comforted myself.” I Thessalonians 4:18, “Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”

4) The Saints of God can comfort us.
I Thessalonians 5:11, “Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.” I Thessalonians 4:18, “Wherefore comfort one another with these words.” God wants us to be a blessing to others. If you know someone who is going through a trial, why not try to comfort them? Listen to them, love them, languish with them, and lift them up. “Comfort ye, comfort ye my people”.

Questions to Consider:
Does your faith give comfort to others or do you find yourself struggling in doubt and fear?
Can you think of someone who needs your help right now?
What steps can you take to encourage that person?

Points to Ponder:
Ask the Holy Spirit to teach you the ways or the words you can speak that will amplify that person’s confidence.
The Lord wants to use you to bring your encouragement and support to someone who needs it.

Prayer, Lord, You are my God. Thank You for speaking comfort over me, over the sensitive and wounded places in my soul. Thank You for comforting me during trials, when the end is not in sight. Thank You for comforting me when I’m suffering the consequences of my own foolish choices. Most of all, thank You for forgiving my sins, through the blood of Your only Son, Jesus Christ, Lord of all, in whose name I pray, amen.

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