2 Corinthians 1_1_3 Margaret's funeral

2nd Cor. 1:3-6 “Great Comfort”

Max Lucado tells the story of his youngest daughter Sarah who loved to climb up on the arm of their living room sofa and jump into the arms of daddy. Sarah would do this over and over again. One day while playing, Max tried to get Sarah to jump off the sofa into her older sister’s arm but Sarah refused to. Her daddy kept encouraging her to jump but she wouldn’t. Finally Max Lucado asked his daughter “why she would not jump into her older sister’s arms ” and her response was. “I only jump into big arms.”

Big arms are what your family needs right now, ones that will not fail you, ones that will lift you up when you are unable to lift yourself up.

Even during times of heartache there is medicine for your soul, it is the Mercy and Comfort of the Lord.

It is my Prayer for you today that you find Great Comfort in the arms of the Lord vs. 3-4

Ex: During times of great pain, suffering, and sorrow God comes to aid of His children. The word Mercy means to feel sympathy towards one who is in misery. Such sympathy manifests itself in acts of compassion. But God is not only merciful, the Bible teaches He is the means and source from which all mercies flow. The Bible teaches of God that He is one who comforts His children, like a father who picks his child up off of the ground when he falls off his bicycle and scraps his knee on the asphalt. He is that Father but so much more. The word Comfort means “to call to one’s side,” to literally come to the aid of another bringing consolation and encouragement. But the Bible doesn’t teach that God merely comforts but that He is the God of ALL comfort. “All” means every, each, complete, and totality. God is the means and the source of all TRUE COMFORT. [There is no replica of God’s comfort]. Yet these mercies and comforts are only available to His born again children.

We often asks ourselves why do we suffer as God’s Children, Paul teaches us a lesson in mercy and comfort. By the comfort in which you were comforted you may be an agent of god’s manifested grace to earth. To comfort others who may be going what you have been through. God comforts us so that in time we may comfort others.

App: Throw yourselves into the Arms of the Father of Mercies and the God of All Comfort

It’s my Prayer for you today that you will find Abounding Comfort in the arms of the Lord. vs. 5

The promises of God are so rich and wonderful and are always faithful. There is great hope in the promises of God. Through divine inspiration Paul tells of a great promise. That even when you suffering seems to be unbearable, even when your heart ache seems to grow and grow that by the grace of God, His Comfort grows beyond the heart ache and beyond the pain. The word abound means “to be in excess” to “be over.” It is the idea of over flowing. Like a glass placed in the sink under a running faucet, the water fills the glass then runs over the rim flowing into the sink, so is the comfort of God. The great hope found here is that when you long to see Margaret face, to hear her laugh, when you miss her so much that it hurts and the sorrow feels as though it is too much to bear the comfort of God will come in excess. It will be more than enough.

App: Throw yourselves into the Arms of the Father of Mercies and the God of all Comfort. Because our beloved Margaret is already wrapped bountifully in those Big Arms.

There is no more pain, no more suffering, no more tears from sorrow but perhaps tears of Joy. I would love to hear her take on what is happening at this very moment. After decades of working in the Jewelry Industry she is experiencing what we only dream of. A City whose walls are of the finest Jasper, whose foundation is adorned with every jewel, its 12 gates each are of a single pearl, the main street of pure gold. ITS LIGHT IS THE LAMB OF GOD!

Jesus promised his disciples that he was going away for a great purpose, that was to build a room for them in His father’s house. John 14:1-3

Right now, at this very moment Margaret has entered her Fathers home. She has left this world behind leaving the frail and perishable behind but entering into the undefiled, the imperishable and all this preacher can say is praise be to God!

Friends… family… throw yourselves into the care of the Father through faith in Jesus Christ.