ALLOWING GOD TO COMFORT YOU

ALLOWING GOD TO COMFORT YOU - Dated 11 May 2011


Corinthians 1
3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. 4 He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. 5 For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ. 6 Even when we are weighed down with troubles, it is for your comfort and salvation! For when we ourselves are comforted, we will certainly comfort you. Then you can patiently endure the same things we suffer. 7 We are confident that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in the comfort God gives us.

I am sooo moved by this word this morning. Really… So many times when I went through hardships I always asked “but why Lord”. Sometimes to a point of identifying a candidate who is, in my eyes worthy of such a trial. I would cry day and night. Asking the same question over and over again. Getting to the conclusions that I did something wrong so I am being punished, or that God just doesn’t love me anymore. It becomes such a depressing and painful process. Isolation becomes the only way to cope and that’s where all sorts of negative thoughts come to mind. Maybe I should take revenge, and if that doesn’t bring any immediate relief then the next thought is maybe if I wasn’t here things will be better. So suicide becomes the most attractive and practical and guaranteed method to end the misery. The thought that God is in the process of doing something great through me never crossed my mind. Let alone the thought that I could help someone else from my experience. It’s always been about me and how I am not loved or not doing right. I mean how could MY pain be of benefit to anyone… Really now…why should Pumza hurt and cry for someone else’s upliftment, encouragement, strengthening? Just not fair moss. But that’s the questions that goes through our minds when we have not even the slightest idea of what God’s plan and purpose for our lives is. When we don’t know Him as we should. When we don’t have a tight relationship with Him. So in that light (or should I say darkness) I discovered that at the time when I didn’t have a relationship with God. Everything was about me, myself and I. Was selfish even to the point of self-pitying. It felt good because I was looking out for myself. Protecting myself (ironic I know, protect, suicide.. Eshe!!!). The main thing was that I was in charge of how I dealt with my pain. And the way I handled it was to be beneficial to me, and only me… and just the thought of that made me feel in control.

Now Paul, is telling me something else. That,
2 Cor 1: 5 For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ. 6 Even when we are weighed down with troubles, it is for your comfort and salvation! For when we ourselves are comforted, we will certainly comfort you.

So this means to me. First I need to have a great and tight relationship with the comforter in order for me to see my troubles in a different light. In a light of benefiting others. Second, once I establish that relationship. I have to be confident in Jesus to a point that I rejoice at my troubles for the more I suffer, the more God will shower me with His comfort. This will bring me closer to God. Experience His love and grace more. Thirdly, I will only be able to comfort others if and when I, myself have experienced this comfort from God. Clearly you cannot give something that you haven’t received. You can’t teach something that you don’t know. You can only pass on what you know personally. What you have experienced…

Now that I know what I need to do, how do I do it? How do I begin to build this relationship with Christ? How do I experience God’s comfort? And how do I pass it on to others?
The first step to starting a relationship with Christ is accepting Him into your life as your Lord and Saviour. So that you may experience His love and care for you.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Romans 10: 9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

Second step is that, now that you have established a relationship with Christ. You must ask Him to fill you with the Holy Spirit. To guide and convict you and to take total control of your being and life. The Holy Spirit will lead you to prayer and the reading of God’s word. That is when you allow Him to renew your mind. For our growth in this walk Christ is dependent on how much time we spend with Him. Talking and listening to Him.

Romans 8: 11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.
Romans 8: 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.

Third step is repent and forgive. Repenting is not to get your act together" or to "get religion" or "fly straight"; as if we could. Repentance requires taking in a whole new point of view; looking at it God's way. God simply asks us to turn. This is the way we accept His gift. When we do, certain outcomes are promised. If we don't, or we "turn back", alternate outcomes are promised. This you will only do through the help of the Holy Spirit.

Luke13: 5 I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.”

Then forgive all those who have wronged you. When you accept Christ, you become a new creation. The old is gone with all it’s things. Now, being a new creation who is filled with the Holy Spirit. You cannot harbour negative feelings of resentment and unforgiveness. Also, you have now received the gift of forgives, through grace. You can extend the same forgiveness to those who have offended and hurt you. Showing them the love and forgiveness of Christ. My Pastor said that forgiveness is giving up your right to get even…

Matthew 6:14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

To experience God’s comfort. He has to be the centre of your world. You have to make Him your only hope. You have to rely and trust in Him and only Him with everything. Nothing is too small or petty for Him. In fact, the smallest looking problems are the ones with major negative consequences. You have to be rooted in Christ such that the character of Christ is seen in you. You have to be confident, so confident in Him that you that nothing can break you because of the One who lives in you. So this means that, whenever hardships hit you. You look unto Jesus who promised to carry your burdens as the only One who can help you through it. You rely on His comfort only. You rest and take comfort in the knowledge that He is for you.

Matthew 11: 28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

When you have experienced and know God’s love and comfort. You are then able to share it with others by sharing the Gospel about Christ. Sharing your experience with Him with others who may be going through the same troubles you did. When you share how God has helped you, and you become a living testimony. People will sure want to have Him in their lives too. You know when people hear of a good sangoma, how they so openly and enthusiastically refer others to them testifying of how they were helped. We have to, need to do that about our Jesus.

I know the comfort of God. I know how it is to lie in His arms and cry and still find peace in my heart. I know how it to kneel to pray and have no words coming out of my mouth but just tears down my face. And suddenly feel and overwhelming feeling of peace and comfort, tears dry in an instant and know in my heart that everything is alright. I know how His voice sounds when He says, “my baby I love you. Don’t cry sana Lam, I got this”. I know how it is to be tempted and through it all, feel His arms around me and hear His voice saying “my grace is sufficient for you, you are more than a conqueror”. I know His comfort because I know Him. Do you know Him? Do you know Jesus? I mean really, really know Jesus?

If this note has touched you in any way and you have not accepted Jesus as Lord and Saviour and you want to experience this love and comfort I am talking about. Please pray this prayer. It is good to have a witness with you. Someone to agree with you as make this decision and give your life to Christ. if you have no one to be there with you. please inbox me your number and I will call you and we can pray together and I will stand in agreement with you… below is the prayer that you can pray…

Dear Father,
I now believe that Jesus Christ is Your only begotten Son, that He came to our earth in the flesh and died on the cross to take away all of my sins and the sins of this world. I believe that Jesus Christ then rose from the dead on the third day to give all of us eternal life. I now confess to You all of the wrong and sinful things that I have ever done in my life. "Lord Jesus, I give myself to You, for You to be my only Lord and Saviour. I renounce and repudiate all other loyalties, and I desire no other Lord but You. Please come into me and take control of my life. Mould me to Your will and to Your use. I ask that You drive out all other spirits which conflict with You in any way. I want to belong only to You, to be subject only to You. I make this prayer to You, in Your name, the name of Jesus. Amen."

God bless you
P