God to the Suffering

Psalm 34:18

The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. 

Matthew 5:4

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭1‬:‭3‬-‭5‬ 

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 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. For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.

God is near to suffering people in a different way than he is near to all of his people everyday. When we need comfort, the Comforter shows up.

So, if we flip that sentence, we could say that in order to experience the nearness of the Comforter, we must go through suffering.

This is why we have heard people say that while they would never want to endure a particular hardship or grief again, they miss the intense closeness of God they felt during that time. They experienced the comfort of the Comforter.

I’ve heard this concept explained by comparing suffering or broken-heartedness to an unhealed wound. 

An unhealed wound is tender to the touch. Just as a wound is tender to the touch, so are our hearts tender to the touch of God when they are broken or suffering. God draws near to heal and comfort, and the wounded heart is tender to his nearness.

And when those wounds have healed up, we can’t help but share the comfort we’ve experienced with those who need it.

Oh Lord, thank you for your nearness during times of suffering and heartache. Help us to use the comfort and healing we receive from you during those times to share you with those around us. Amen.