TRUST IN JEHOVAH, “THE GOD OF ALL COMFORT”

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

the Father of tender mercies and the God of all comfort.”—2 COR. 1:3.

     FROM our birth on, we feel the need for

comfort. A baby uses its vocal cords to let

us know when it needs comfort. Perhaps it

wants to be held or it is hungry. Even when

we are older, we often feel the need to be

comforted. Especially is this the case when

we are experiencing difficult situations.

     2 Family members and friends can often

give us a degree of comfort. At times, how-

ever,conditions that cause us distress are be-

yond human remedies. Only God can give

us comfort regardless of how distressing our

situation may be. His Word assures us: “Je-

hovah is near to all those calling upon him,

. . . and their cry for help he will hear.” (Ps.

145:18, 19) Yes, “the eyes of Jehovah are to-

ward the righteous ones, and his ears are to-

ward their cry for help.” (Ps. 34:15) But if we

are to receive God’s support and comfort, we

must place our trust in him. The psalmist

David made that clear when he sang: “Jeho-

vah will become a secure height for anyone

crushed, a secure height in times of distress.

And those knowing your name will trust in

you, for you will certainly not leave those

lookingfor you, O Jehovah.”—Ps.9:9,10.

     3 Jehovah’s worshippers are precious to

him. Jesus made this clear when he said:

“Five sparrows sell for two coins of small val-

ue, do they not? Yet not one of them goes

forgotten before God. But even the hairs of

your heads are all numbered. Have no fear;

you are worth more than many sparrows.”

(Luke 12:6, 7) Through the prophet Jeremi-

ah, Jehovah told His ancient people:“With a

love to time indefinite I have loved you.

That is why I have drawn you with loving-

kindness.”—Jer.31:3.

     4 Trusting in Jehovah and in the fulfill-

ment of his promises can bring us comfort

in times of distress. We should therefore

have the same trust in God as that expressed

by Joshua, who declared:“Not one word out

of all the good words that Jehovah your God

has spoken to you has failed. They have all

come true for you. Not one word of them

has failed.” (Josh. 23:14) Moreover, we can

be certain that even if we are temporarily

crushed by trying situations, “God is faith-

ful”and will never forsake his loyal servants.

—Read 1Corinthians10:13.

     5 The apostle Paul refers to Jehovah as

“the God of all comfort.” “To comfort”

means to soothe someone who is in distress

or who is sorrowing. This is done by easing

his misery or grief and bringing him conso-

lation. Jehovah certainly does this. (Read

2 Corinthians 1:3, 4.) Our heavenly Father

is not limited by anything or anyone and

therefore has at his disposal whatever means

are needed to provide comfort for those who love him. In turn,
we are able to comfortfellow believers “in any sort of tribulation.”

We can do so “through the comfort with which we ourselves
are being comforted by

God.”How well this expresses Jehovah’s un-

matched ability to comfort despairing ones!

Coping With the Causes of Distress

     6 We need comfort in many areas of life.

One of the greatest causes of grief is the loss

of a loved one in death, especially a beloved

marriage mate or a child. Comfort may also

be needed because a person is a victim of

discrimination or prejudice. Poor health,

advanced age, poverty, marital problems, or

distressing world conditions can give rise to

a personal need for comfort.

     7 In times of distress, we may need com-

fort that soothes our heart, our mind, our

emotions, and both our physical and spiri-

tual health. For example, consider the heart.

God’s Word acknowledges that our heart

can be “broken and crushed.” (Ps. 51:17) Je-

hovah is certainly able to deal with this situ-

ation, for “he is healing the brokenhearted

ones,and is binding up their painful spots.”

(Ps.147:3) Even in severe situations, God can

bring relief to a stricken heart if we pray to

him in full faith and observe his command-

ments.—Read 1John3:19-22; 5:14,15.

     8 Our mind often needs comfort because

various trials can cause great mental dis-

tress. In our own strength, we likely cannot

cope with these tests of faith. However,

the psalmist sang: “When my disquieting

thoughts became many inside of me, your

own consolations began to fondle my soul.”

(Ps.94:19) Moreover, Paul wrote:“Do not be

anxious over anything, but in everything by

prayer and supplication along with thanks-

giving let your petitions be made known to

God; and the peace of God that excels all

thought will guard your hearts and your

mental powers by means of Christ Jesus.”

(Phil.4:6,7)Reading and meditating on the

Scriptures can be of great help in coping

with mental distress.—2Tim.3:15-17.

9 At times, we may become so discour-

aged that we can be in danger of succumb-

ing to the effects of negative emotions. Per-

haps we feel unable to care for a certain

Scriptural responsibility or privilege of ser-

vice. Here, too, Jehovah can comfort and

help us. To illustrate: When Joshua was

commissioned to lead the Israelites against

powerful enemy nations, Moses told the

people: “Be courageous and strong. Do not

be afraid or suffer a shock before them, be-

cause Jehovah your God is the one march-

ing with you.He will neither desert you nor

leave you entirely.” (Deut. 31:6) With Jeho-

vah’s backing,Joshua was able to lead God’s

people into the Promised Land and to victo-

ry over all their enemies. Earlier at the Red

Sea, Moses had experienced similar divine

support.—Ex.14:13,14,29-31.

10 Distressing events can have a negative

effect on our physical health. Of course, eat-

ing properly, getting sufficient rest and exer-

cise, and keeping clean can have a good

effect on us. A spiritually healthy Bible-

based outlook may well affect our body for

the good. Thus, it is helpful when going

through some anguish that we bear in

mind Paul’s experience and encouraging

words:“We are pressed in every way, but not

cramped beyond movement; we are per-

plexed, but not absolutely with no way out;

we are persecuted, but not left in the lurch

HOW TO COPE WITH THINGS

THAT COULD AFFECT OUR . . 

heart

Ps.147:3; 1John 3:19-22; 5:14,15

 mind

Ps. 94:19; Phil. 4:6, 7

emotions

Ex.14:13,14; Deut. 31:6

 physical health

2 Cor. 4:8, 9

ˇ spiritual health

Ps.145:14; Jas. 5:14,15

we are thrown down, but not destroyed.”

—2Cor.4:8,9.

11 Some trials can have a detrimental ef-

fect on our spiritual health. Here, too, Jeho-

vah can come to our rescue. His Word as-

sures us: “Jehovah is giving support to all

who are falling, and is raising up all who are

bowed down.” (Ps.145:14) For help to coun-

teract spiritual illness, we should seek the as-

sistance of Christian elders. (Jas. 5:14, 15)

And constantly keeping in mind the Scrip-

tural hope of everlasting life can help to sus-

tain us during tests of our faith.—John 17:3.

Examples of God-Given Comfort

12 An inspired psalmist declared: “Re-

member the word to your servant, for which

you [Jehovah] have made me wait. This is

my comfort in my affliction, for your own

saying has preserved me alive.” (Ps. 119:49,

50) Today, we have Jehovah’s written Word,

which contains many examples of God-

given comfort. For instance, Abraham may

have been quite distressed when he learned

that Jehovah was going to destroy Sod-

om and Gomorrah. That faithful patriarch

asked God: “Will you really sweep away the

righteous with the wicked?” Jehovah com-

forted Abraham by assuring him that if only

50 righteous people could be found, He

would not destroy Sodom. Five more times,

however, Abraham asked Jehovah: What if

there are only 45 righteous people? 40? 30?

20? 10? Each time, Jehovah very patiently

and kindly assured Abraham that Sodom

would be spared. Although there were not

even ten righteous people in the area, Jeho-

vah did preserve Lot and his daughters.

—Gen.18:22-32;19:15,16,26.

13 Elkanah’s wife Hannah greatly desired

to have a child.But she was barren, and this

distressed her. She prayed to Jehovah about

the matter, and High Priest Eli said to her:

“May the God of Israel grant your petition.”

This comforted Hannah, “and her face be-

came self-concerned no more.” (1 Sam.1:8,

17, 18) Hannah trusted in Jehovah, con-

fidently leaving things in his hands. Al-

though she did not know what the outcome

would be, Hannah experienced inner peace.

In time, Jehovah answered her prayer. She

became pregnant and brought a son to

birth,naming him Samuel.—1Sam.1:20.

14 King David of ancient Israel is another

example of an individual comforted by

God. Inasmuch as Jehovah “sees what the

heart is,” when he selected David to be a fu-

ture king of Israel, he knew that David was

sincere and devoted to true worship. (1Sam.

16:7; 2 Sam. 5:10) Later, however, David

committed adultery with Bath-sheba and

tried to cover up the sin by having her hus-

band killed.When David came to realize the

enormity of his sin, he prayed to Jehovah:

“According to the abundance of your mer-

cies wipe out my transgressions. Thorough-

ly wash me from my error, and cleanse me

even from my sin. For my transgressions I

myself know, and my sin is in front of me

constantly.” (Ps. 51:1-3) David was truly re-

pentant, and Jehovah forgave him. How-

ever, David had to face the consequences of

his wrongdoing. (2 Sam.12:9-12) Neverthe-

less, Jehovah’s mercy was a source of com-

fort to his humble servant.

15 When on earth, Jesus faced many

trying circumstances. God permitted these

tests of faith, and Jesus maintained his in-

tegrity as a perfect man who always trusted

in Jehovah and upheld His sovereignty

When about to be betrayed and executed,

Jesus prayed to Jehovah: “Let, not my will,

but yours take place.” An angel then ap-

peared to Jesus and strengthened him. (Luke

22:42, 43) God gave Jesus the comfort,

strength, and support he needed at that

time.

16 Even if we ourselves should face death

because of our firm stand as Christians, Je-

hovah can and will help us to maintain our

integrity to him. Furthermore, we are com-

forted by the hope of the resurrection. And

how we look forward to the day when the

last enemy,death,“is to be brought to noth-

ing”! (1 Cor. 15:26) God’s loyal servants

who have died, as well as others, are in Jeho-

vah’s infallible memory and will be resur-

rected. (John 5:28, 29; Acts 24:15) Confi-

dence in Jehovah’s resurrection promise

brings us comfort and a sure hope during

times of persecution.

17 How comforting it is to know that our

loved ones now asleep in mankind’s com-

mon grave have the prospect of resuming

life in a wonderful new world free of all the

present-day causes of distress! And what a

privilege it will be for the “great crowd” of

Jehovah’s servants who survive the end of

this wicked system of things to welcome

and instruct those resurrected to life on

earth!—Rev.7:9,10.

Underneath Are God’s Eternal Arms

18 In the words of a powerful and heart-

warming song, Moses assured the people of

Israel: “A hiding place is the God of ancient

time, and underneath are the indefinitely

lasting arms.” (Deut. 33:27) The prophet

Samuel later told the Israelites:“Do not turn

aside from following Jehovah, and you must

serve Jehovah with all your heart. . . . Jeho-

vah will not desert his people for the sake of

his great name.” (1Sam.12:20-22) As long as

we cling to Jehovah in true worship, he will

never forsake us. He will always give us the

support we need.

19 God is unfailingly giving his people

needed help and comfort in these critical

last days. For over a century, thousands of

our fellow believers throughout the world

have been persecuted and imprisoned just

because they served Jehovah. Their experi-

ences prove that in times of trial, Jehovah

does indeed comfort his servants.For exam-

ple,one of our brothers in the former Soviet

Union was sentenced to 23 years in prison

because of his faith. Even so, a way was

found to get spiritual food to him so that he

could be strengthened and comforted. He

stated: “During all those years, I learned to

trust in Jehovah and received strength from

him.”—Read 1Peter 5:6,7.

20 Regardless of what we may yet face, we

will do well to bear in mind the psalmist’s

comforting words:“Jehovah will not forsake

his people.” (Ps.94:14) Although we person-

ally need to be comforted, we also have the

grand privilege of bringing comfort to oth-

ers. As we shall see in the next article,we can

have a share in comforting mourning ones

in this troubled world.

1. Regardless of age, what need do humans have?

2. What assurance does Jehovah give that he will

comfort those who trust in him?

3. How did Jesus illustrate Jehovah’s love for His

people?

4. Why canwe trust in Jehovah’s promises?

5. How is it possible for us to comfort others?

6. Give examples of things that can cause distress.

7. (a) In grievous situations, what kind of comfort

is needed? (b) What can Jehovah do to heal a “bro-

ken and crushed” heart?

8. When we are distressed mentally, how can Jehovah

help us?

9. How canwe cope with emotional distress?

10. If our physical health is affected by distress,

what help can we receive?

11. How can spiritual illness be counteracted?

12. Describe Jehovah’s comforting attitude toward

Abraham

13. Howdid Hannah show that she trusted in Jehovah?

14. Why did David need comfort, and towhom did

he turn?

15. What help did Jehovah give Jesus just before his death?

16. What can God do about distress we may experi-

ence if we face death as integrity keepers?

17. How can Jehovah comfort us when a loved one dies?

18, 19. How have God’s servants been comforted

when being persecuted?

20. Why can we be sure that Jehovah will not abandon us?

How Would You Answer?

˙ What are some things that can cause us distress?

˙ How does Jehovah comfort his servants?

˙ If we are facwith death, what can comfort us?