Hello again, and welcome to the program. We're here with a little strength for today. In 2 Corinthians 1, verse 3 and 4, the word comfort is mentioned five times. You need a little comfort? We're going to talk about that today. Life is full of trials and tribulations. The cares of life are sometimes physical problems, sometimes emotional problems, sometimes spiritual problems. And these things can result in a lot of discouragement. In the Bible, Elijah, David, Jonah, Moses, Job, and the Israelites all cried out because of the problems they were facing. Elijah had that great triumph on the mountain with the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel. What next? We'd find him in a cave actually praying to God that he might die. He was somewhat discouraged. David, in Psalm 42, 11, the man after God's own heart, he said, Why art thou cast down, O my soul? Why art thou disquieted within me? Psalm 42, 11. Well, one reason he was down was King Saul was trying to kill him. If you got someone trying to kill you today, I think that would be a thing that would get you discouraged. He had the threat of being stoned by his own men in 1 Samuel 30 verse 6. It says that David was greatly distressed for the people spake of stoning him. That's a pretty serious problem. Psalm 23, 4, he said, Yea, though I walk Through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me, thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me." Well, we all go through these situations where we need a little comfort from God, and thank the Lord in 2 Corinthians 1, verse 3 and 4, we've got the formula for it. It says, blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercy, and the God of all comfort, who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble by the comfort wherewith ourselves are comforted of God. He mentions the word comfort in these two verses five times. And so we have three things here. Number one, the God of all comfort. Number two, who comforted us in all our tribulation. And number three, that we may be able to comfort other people. It's interesting that the word comfort is found six times in the book of Job. Yeah, he needed a little comfort. Psalm 23, 4, again, David said, yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me. Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me. In Psalm 119, verse 50, he said, this is my comfort in my affliction, for thy word hath quickened me. In Jeremiah 8, 18, we read, when I would comfort myself against sorrow, my heart is faint in me. In Romans 15, 4, we read, for whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. The word comfort is mentioned 24 times in the New Testament because God knows we're going to go through tribulation And sometimes we just need a little comfort from the Lord or from other people. We're going to have tribulation. John 16, 33 said, these things I have spoken unto you, that ye might have peace in the world, ye shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. And so when we go through these trials and tribulations, again, our prayer ought to be that of David in Psalm 119, verse 50. This is my comfort. in my affliction, for thy word hath quickened me." We need to get into the word and let the word get into us. And so, why do we go through all these trials and tribulations? Well, one thing, we never learn how to sail a ship on calm waters, but it says here in 2 Corinthians 1, verse number 4, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. Galatians 6 says, Bury one another's burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ. Yeah, as Christians, we're going to have burdens. I was reading the other day that the New Testament contains approximately 59 one another commands. The phrase one another is found seven times in the book of Romans. In John chapter 13 verse 34, Jesus said a new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples if ye have love one to another. In 1 Thessalonians 4 18, it says, wherefore comfort one another with these words. Maybe it would be a good idea for us to take some time today and pray, Lord, is there some Christian that I need to help along the trail today? Someone I need to exhort while it is called today. That's what it says in Hebrews 3.13, exhort one another daily while it is called today. Again, 2 Corinthians 1 verse 3 and 4, we have the God of all comfort, number two, who comforteth us, number three, that we may comfort others. In our upcoming programs, we're going to look in the scriptures at people who faced physical problems, they faced emotional problems, they faced spiritual problems. We're going to see how they handled them, and how we can handle them as well.