January 4, 2012 The Father's Comfort

The Father’s Comfort Job 15:11 Is God’s comfort too little for you? Is his gentle word not enough? WHAT was the first thing God did when Adam and Eve sinned? When he went to them in their nakedness—pure before sin, now shameful after sin— “the Lord God made clothing from animal skins for Adam and his wife.” (Gen 3:21) God first comforted his broken creation. He has been doing so ever since. Job’s friend, Eliphaz, was asking Job, “Is God’s comfort too little for you? Is his gentle word not enough?” He was hoping Job would seek God’s comfort in his deep torment. Job, though, was too confused about God. Bewildered in his agony, Job saw God as his crusher, not comforter. Job was too deep in his despair to see God’s care. But God had allowed Job to suffer great grief. How could God comfort him? That’s the question we all ask. Where is God’s comfort in the disappointment, despair and darkness of our days? Why does God allow such bad things to happen? Doesn’t he care? The place you can look to find your answers and the Father’s comfort is to find the Son’s cross. When you look to see Jesus hanging on that awful tree, you will see agonizing suffering. You will see deep darkness. You look there, and you will see sin’s penalty. Then get this. You look to the cross, and you will see the Son’s victory. You look to the cross, and you will see the Father’s comfort over you eternally. Job didn’t have the cross to look upon. But he had a Father God who would comfort him in his great distress when he would say to the Father, “I need you.” It’s True! Your suffering Savior has brought the Father’s comfort to you.