The God Who Comforts the Downcast
It was during my seminary years. My girlfriend, a young woman I had hoped to marry, and I had just broken up, and I was emotionally distraught. The holidays were approaching and I asked some new friends, whom I had met during a church internship, if I could join them for Thanksgiving. I remember vividly the comfort I felt during that long weekend being in their presence. I knew it was from the Lord.
“But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus, and not only by his coming but also by the comfort you had given him.” (II Corinthians 7:6-7)
So many times in my life the Lord has comforted me through other people. I remember once having a huge load of mulch delivered to be spread in a burgeoning flower garden behind our house. After several hours of tackling the pile, my wife and I were exhausted. Yet, the pile remained huge. I was disheartened. Then a student offered to help us out. It was amazing what easy work he made of that mulch pile, and how much I was comforted by his efforts.
Another time, after my first wife announced her intention to leave me, I received a note from a friend quoting Joel 2:25-26:
“I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten—the great locust and the young locust, the other locusts and the locust swarm—my great army that I sent among you. You will have plenty to eat, until you are full, and you will praise the name of the Lord your God, who has worked wonders for you; never again will my people be shamed.”
The comfort I felt from those words were immeasurable at the time. God knew of my grief.
And just a month ago, I was in the hospital trying to figure out the next step in my continuing arrhythmia problem. Several doctors had varied opinions, but one doctor stood out. He explained his viewpoint and exuded confidence that it was the right way to go. His confidence in the face of my uncertainty and that of other doctors gave me a sense of comfort. Again, I knew this was from the Lord.
Discouragement in a fallen world is inescapable. Even the Apostle Paul experienced it (II Corinthians 1:8-9). But so often it is at that point of discouragement that we can experience the Lord’s comfort. I have read about Christian missionaries and believers in countries that are intolerant toward Christians who find amazing peace and encouragement in the face of persecution.
For many, the holidays are difficult and disheartening. A divorce may have occurred in the past year or a death. Memories of holidays past flood the mind and are contrasted by new realities, unwanted and unwelcome. While we are told by advertisers our mood is to be festive, the facts of our lives may tell a different story, one of loss and heartache. We may put on a brave face, but our hearts know the truth. And so does the Lord.
If you are in a similar emotional space this holiday season, know the Lord wants to comfort you. It will come. Just keep looking for it.
© Jim Musser 2025 All Scripture references are from the New International Version, 2011.
