2 Thess.2:17 Comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word
and work.
 Paul's words to the church at Thessalonica should be the watch word for every
Christian today, for in verse 16, Paul revealed that this comfort comes from God
and Christ. The book of Acts told what trouble Paul and others went through for
the cause of Christ. Yet, in 2 Corinthians 1:4, Paul stated,  "Who comforteth us
in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any
trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God."

How then can we be comforted? First and foremost, by being obedient to God's will,
"If you love me, keep my commandments . If  a man love me he will keep my
words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our
abode with him." (John 14:15, 23) Second, we find comfort from our brothers and
sisters in Christ. "Wherefore comfort one another with these words."   (1Thess.
4:18) How many of us who have been ill or bereaved have been comforted by the
brethren and even if no words are spoken?  Just having a brother or sister there to
help with the burden is quite a comfort.

The good words of God bring comfort to the Christian.  Jesus, when tempted by
Satan, answered and defeated every temptation by the word of God.  "But he
answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by
every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God" (Matt 4:4) Jesus went
on to tell us that even our lives come from God's word and it is this word in which
we need to be established and able to stand.

The only way to have comfort of heart that God gives is to be established in His
word.  This is done by being a daily Bible student, taking time each day to study
God's word. "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that
needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." (2Ti 2:15)
This is something we need to do not only for our own comfort and knowledge,
but to be able to comfort others with the word of God.  Only His word has the
power to save us from our sins. " But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts:
and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you
a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:" (1Pe 3:15 )
Only by doing these things can we have comfort of  heart!

© Copyright 2001. Paul D. Fisher.  All rights reserved.