Chapter 3: When the Comfort of God Becomes Real

Blessed be God... the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation...” 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (KJV)

A woman who had lost her son described how memories of him could overwhelm her. Objects associated with him, photographs, and ordinary moments could suddenly bring the pain of the loss back before her.

She observed another believer who had also experienced devastating loss and wondered how that person could remain so strong. The answer was important:

“I am not strong. God is.” That distinction matters.

The testimony was not an assertion that bereavement produces no initial pain. The immediate shock of tragic news can be almost indescribable. The testimony concerned what happened afterward:

God comforted.

• The Comforter became more than a doctrine.
• The comfort of God was experienced.
• That experience became another form of tasting God.

The Memory No Longer Has Dominion

Once God has brought a person through an experience, the memory itself does not have to possess the power to continually destroy them.

A memory of the tragedy will remain. The facts will not disappear. But the memory will become a testimony to the power of God, rather than a weapon continuously used against the mind.

Instead of remembering only the tragedy, the believer can also remember:

• God carried me through it. • God preserved my mind.
• God comforted me. • God demonstrated that He is real.

This is why experience with God produces conviction. You are no longer merely saying: “I believe God can comfort.” You can say: “I have experienced His comfort.” And that experience equips you to minister to others.