“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also our through Christ our comfort overflows.” 2 Cor. 1:3-5
Heavenly Father, names matter a whole lot. The first name we were given is the one on our birth certificate, chosen for us by our parents. Some of us acquired endearing nicknames we still wear with joy, (or with a cringe).
But the name that is most inviting, timely, and precious to us today is the name you chose for yourself in this passage. Thank you, Father. Thank you than you want us to know you as “the Father of compassion and God of all comfort.”
It’s not a nickname, it’s a that-nails-it-name. We know this to be true because of the Gospel. Our most eternal need was met, once and for all, by the gift of your Son, Jesus. By the sufferings of Christ, we now have your favor permanently resting on us. Hallelujah! Your compassion is incomparable, your comfort inexhaustible.
But that was just the beginning of getting to know you as such an amazingly kind and grace-full God. In every area of our lives, you want us to experience you as our “Father of compassion and God of all comfort”—in old heart wounds, and current crucibles; in the things that cause us fear, and those which fuel our shame; in the vulnerability of getting older, and the challenges that face our children. Hallelujah, and thank you. So very Amen we pray, in Jesus’ tender and triumphant name.