When Did PROOF... Become My Comfort?

[Timl1980]

"Never for a moment have I doubted Jehovah's love...I just kept searching for EVIDENCE that the pain would go away."

 

Those are deep strong words coming from a servant of Jehovah...especially when you consider the fact that we HAVE Jehovah...and the world has nothing to cling onto...except lies and meaningless drivel designed to occupy their brain until they die.

 

Who said those words?

 

I did.

 

Why did I say them? 

 

Because I misunderstood a facet of a scripture we've read a thousand times over my lifetime: 

 

2 Corinthians 1:3,4: "Praised be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of tender mercies and the God of all comfort,  4 who comforts us in all our trials so that we may be able to comfort others in any sort of trial with the comfort that we receive from God."

 

I didn’t realize how much I was waiting for something to change...before I let myself feel comforted.

 

And that made me stop and ask myself something uncomfortable:

When did relief become the way I measured Jehovah’s nearness?

 

As I read Paul’s words...“the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation”...I noticed how quickly my mind jumped ahead.

 

Ahead to the outcome.

 

Ahead to the moment when the pressure would finally just lift...and just GO AWAY!!

 

But Paul didn’t say Jehovah comforts us after the tribulation.

 

He said Jehovah comforts us in it.

 

So I had to ask myself:

Have I been reading this verse as a promise of results…instead of what it mainly is...a promise of his presence?  

 

Have I been waiting for proof that the pain would end, instead of noticing that I was still standing?  

 

If Jehovah were truly absent, would I even be enduring at all?

 

The Greek word Paul uses for “comfort” is paráklēsis...a word Jehovah's people know very well...a word that that means to be called alongside. Not to fix from a distance. Not to remove the weight immediately. But to come close enough to share the space.

 

That realization shifted a lot of smaller little things for me personally.

 

Because suddenly the question wasn’t, “Why hasn’t Jehovah taken this away yet?”  

 

It became, “What if Jehovah has been here the entire time...and I was just focused on results too much to even notice him?”

 

Paul says Jehovah gives us the courage and strength to bear up.

 

And that made me wonder:

 

What if mere day to day survival isn't just somehow staggering along...but actual evidence of his presence by itself?  

 

In other words: What if endurance itself is the comfort I’ve been overlooking?  

 

What if Jehovah’s way of proving his care for me isn’t by changing the situation...but by refusing to leave me alone inside it?

 

The September 2008 Watchtower states that Jehovah does not necessarily make our problems or pain disappear...but he DOES fortifiy us to cope with them. And for the first time, that didn’t sound like a lesser comfort. It sounded like a deeper one.

 

https://www.jw.org/en/library/magazines/wp20080901/The-God-of-All-Comfort/

 

Because if Jehovah were TRULY distant, endurance would feel empty.

 

If he had TRULY stepped away, courage wouldn’t keep showing up.

 

If he weren’t in the room, the weight would be unbearable...if his holy spirit wasn't continuing to give me the power beyond what is normal...Tim simply couldn't survive...SPIRITUALLY!

 

So maybe the real question isn’t why the pain is still here...and why hasn't it gone away?

 

Maybe it’s this:

When did I start believing that comfort had to look like proof...instead of presence?

Edited 6 hours ago by Timl1980

[ucastrobr]

Job lost his 10 children, and Jehovah did not resurrect them at that time. Do you think Job missed them every day while waiting for Jehovah to resurrect them through Jesus in the future?
David lost many sons. When Absalom died, he cried: David paced the floor of the roof chamber, crying: "My son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! O that I might have died, I myself, instead of you, Absalom, my son, my son!"
Before David died, he was always sick in bed, and Jehovah did not cure him at that time.
Why do you think Jehovah will take away his pain now? He promises that in the future, if you trust in him, he will eliminate all the pains you have today. But it is necessary to fight every day.

 

Psalms 37:28,29 For Jehovah loves justice,
And he will not abandon his loyal ones.
They will always be guarded;
But the descendants of the wicked will be done away with.
  The righteous will possess the earth,
And they will live forever on it.

 

Revelation 21:3, 4: The tent of God is with mankind, and he will reside with them, and they will be his people. And God himself will be with them. And he will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away.”

 

Hebrews 10:35-39 Therefore, do not throw away your boldness, which will be richly rewarded. For you need endurance so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the fulfillment of the promise. For yet “a very little while,” and “the one who is coming will arrive and will not delay." “But my righteous one will live by reason of faith,” and “if he shrinks back, I have no pleasure in him.” Now we are not the sort who shrink back to destruction, but the sort who have faith for the preserving of our lives.

[computerwiz]

[Dages]

I'm keeping this around. A sister in my Cong is really sad and depressed recently, feeling that everyday goes wrong.

We preached in the same car today and she was speaking about her wait for Armageddon... Or her own death. She is 40 years old. Basically hoping everyday that she is going to wake up in Paradise.

 

Poor sister... I'm praying a lot for her. We will do a SC soon.

[Beggar for the Spirit]

Quote

I just kept searching for EVIDENCE that the pain would go away."

 

Yes, I think this may be a common reaction.

A problem we have is that we know someone powerful, almighty who can end our pain.

So we ask the Almighty to please make our suffering go away.

 

But if nothing changes, then…

“Why hasn’t Jehovah taken this away yet?”  

 

But right now, Jehovah is not the God of “all removal” (of suffering).

Why?  

Because we know that greater issues are involved during this “universal court case” still on going.

 

So instead, a Witness must view Jehovah in 1 of His roles during this “landmark court case”.

His role is the “God of all comfort who comforts (me) in all (my) trials”

 

How does our loving and active Father “comfort” us during our trials?

 “When anxieties overwhelmed me,
You comforted and soothed me.”  (Psalm 94:19) 

“He heals the brokenhearted; he binds up their wounds.” (PS. 147:3)

 

What does Jehovah want us to know from these inspired words?

That He, our loving Father, “binds up our wounds” both during and after the trial.

Our Father soothes and he “heals” us both during and after the pain/suffering.

 

Therefore…

we don’t need to see the end of a trial to feel Jehovah’s comfort.

we don’t need our pain to end to know that Jehovah cares about us!

 

Instead…

“feel” Jehovah’s comfort during your trial.

“sense”  Jehovah soothing you during the suffering.

“appreciate” Jehovah’s healing you during your pain.

 

How do I feel, sense, and appreciate Jehovah during my suffering?

By taking notice of everything little thing and big thing He sends you:

Holy Spirit, “a word spoken at the right time—how good it is!”, a dear friend, elders, help from others, His soothing promises in the Bible, and much more!

Edited 2 hours ago by Beggar for the Spirit

[ChrisW]

6 hours ago, Timl1980 said:

What if mere day to day survival isn't just somehow staggering along...but actual evidence of his presence by itself?  

 

In other words: What if endurance itself is the comfort I’ve been overlooking?  

 

What if Jehovah’s way of proving his care for me isn’t by changing the situation...but by refusing to leave me alone inside it?

Let me just say that your though provoking questions have me really self analyzing. Thank you brother.