How God Comforts
Isaiah 51:3
"For the LORD shall 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 shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody."
One of the greatest benefits of being saved is that God allows the Holy Spirit to live within us. This is a great benefit because the Holy Spirit is our Comforter. When going through tough times, the Holy Spirit will be the One Who will bring you comfort. It is interesting when you look at the verse above how God brings comfort.
First, He brings comfort through blessings. It says in the verse above, "...he will comfort all her waste places; and he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the LORD;..." God reminded Israel that He would comfort them through His blessings. He would bless them by restoring Israel. Though you may be going through trials, you must look beyond your trial and receive comfort from the blessings that God sends your way. Your trials may be bad, but I promise you there are still blessings that come your way. If you are not careful, you will focus so much on the trials that you can't see the blessings that God is sending. At times, God will choose to comfort you by sending blessings in the midst of trials.
Second, He brings comfort through joy. Notice that "joy and gladness" could be found in the blessings. In other words, your perception from where you receive joy is important. If the only time you receive joy is through circumstances, then you will never receive the comfort you need during trials. However, if you choose to look inward to find joy, then you can receive comfort any time you choose. Let me explain. I receive my joy from the fact that I am saved, that God is my Father, Jesus Christ is my Saviour, the Holy Spirit lives within me and that Heaven is my home. Nothing can change these things. If you will let your joy come from these things, then you can receive the comfort you need at any time. Don't let circumstances determine your joy, but let your joy come from those things which cannot change and you will always have the opportunity to receive comfort.
Third, He brings comfort through thanksgiving. When trials come your way, you need to regularly take time to thank God for what He has done for you in the past. Being thankful for what God has given you has a way of helping you to be comforted.
Finally, He brings comfort through song. Don't stop singing when you are going through tough times. Find what I call, "Happy songs," and sing them throughout the day. There are some songs that are not as encouraging as others, so sing the songs that always bring joy and comfort to your life.
If these things are what God uses to comfort you, then you could comfort others by doing these things for others. Christian, you could be a blessing to someone today and allow them to be comforted. You could have a song in your heart and let others receive blessings from your song. You could have a joyful spirit and brighten someone's day. Yes, you may need comfort, but if you will be the conduit of comfort to someone else, then you will find the comfort you need. Stop waiting for God to comfort you, for His comfort is there, you must simply do what it takes to do it. How much comfort you receive it dependent upon whether you act upon these areas.