Blessed by the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort which we ourselves are comforted by God. 1 Corinthians 1:3-4 NKJV
Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be to all people.”
Luke 2:10 NKJV
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen is an English Hymn made popular by William Sandys. It dates back to 1650 and is based on Luke 2. A line from the chorus of this hymn is, “With tidings of comfort and joy”.
Today, we live in a world where comfort and joy aren’t always easily accessible. But in just a few short days, we will celebrate the reason we can have unending comfort and happiness regardless of our circumstances. When the angels told the Shepherds, “I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.”, they were letting them know that the Messiah had been born. Jesus was here. He had been promised all those years ago, back in Genesis 3:15. As soon as Adam and Eve brought sin into the picture, God revealed His plan to deal with our sin, and that was His Son, Jesus Christ.
Romans 3:23 tells us all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. We all sin, even though we may not want to or mean to. God sent His son so that for those of us who believe in Him, we shall not perish because of our sin but have eternal life (John 3:16).
David said in Psalm 23:4, “Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.” This is the kind of comfort God provides His children. This comfort is offered to all who are willing to accept the precious gift God has offered to us, His Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ.
When we accept Christ as our Savior, we can have comfort even in the worst of circumstances. We can believe in Romans 8:28, which tells us all things work for the good of those who love the Lord and are called according to His purpose.
And as our Scripture passage says, we are comforted so that we can comfort others. We are to share the comfort and joy that God has given us with others. While others may not receive it, we should still try to share it. If they reject it, then at least we have tried. We have done our part.
Isaiah 51:3 says, “For the Lord will comfort Zion; He will comfort all her waste places, and He will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the LORD. Joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and melodious song.” It goes on to speak of God’s unending righteousness and in verse 11 says, “And the redeemed of the LORD will return to Zion with singing, crowned with unending joy. Joy and gladness will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee.”
Our comfort and joy are found in Jesus Christ. When we accept Him as our Savior and surrender our lives to Him, we will have peace and comfort and joy. It’s a free gift, but it’s up to us to accept it. I pray you choose wisely because your comfort and joy depend upon it.
Have a great day!