Romans
15:4, 5 states,
"(4) For whatever things were
written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have
hope. (5) Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded
toward one another, according to Christ Jesus."
What
is comfort? Collins Concise Dictionary gives us these meanings.
1. (Noun) A state of ease or
wellbeing.
2. Relief from affliction, grief
etc.
3. A person, thing or event that
brings solace or ease.
4. Something that affords
physical ease and relaxation
5. (Verb) To soothe; cheer.
6. Bring physical ease to.
Many
people have been comforted through the Holy Scriptures. Let's look at verse
4 and take note of the important points in it.
1. Previous Scriptures were
written and recorded so that we could learn from them.
2. We learn in continuing
patience.
3. We derive comfort from the
Scriptures.
4. The results are that we might
therefore have hope in God.
It is
interesting to observe that the word patience is closely allied to the word
comfort in verse 4. We don't often consider that we learn through the patience of the Scriptures. The Greek
word hypomone conveys the thoughts
of hopeful, constant, enduring patience, or patient continuance [waiting]. And
that is the marvellous thing about the Scriptures; they are not a one-time
wonder. They are indeed to be studied, learned and applied to our own souls;
time and time again.
Do
you have a problem in your life? You will get guidance from the Scriptures. Why
do you think Psalm 23 is so popular? It is because it provides comfort
and hope. The first verse emphatically states, "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want."
"I shall not want" is King David's conviction. As
you read through the psalm you get an overwhelming sense of David's trust and
confidence in the Lord. David was convinced that whatever came along in his
life the Lord was more than equal to it; and would provide whatever David needed
for that particular circumstance.
David
saw the Lord figuratively as his Shepherd. In Psalm 23:4 David tells us,
"...For You are with me; Your rod
and Your staff they comfort
me." David's confidence was so strong that in verse 6 of the
psalm he declares, "Surely goodness
and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the
house of the Lord forever."
Here
is a man that has his sight fixed on not just the here and now; but also eternity
in the house of the Lord.
The
apostle Peter in his 2nd Epistle speaks about exceedingly great and precious
promises given to us by God's divine power.
2
Peter 1:2-4, "(2) Grace and peace be multiplied unto
you in the knowledge of God and of our Lord Jesus Christ, (3) as His divine
power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through
the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, (4) by which have been
given to us exceedingly great and
precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine
nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust."
There
are many promises to the follower of Christ in the Scriptures. It takes
patience and perseverance to find them. They are there for our learning and our
comfort.
There
is a growing trend in our technological world for instant gratification; but on
the other hand there is the problem of an overload of often non-essential
information. If you want to derive comfort and hope from the Scriptures you
need to slow down and absorb the Scriptures.
My
high school Maths teacher had a very good saying which is applicable when
reading the Scriptures. "Read, mark,
learn and inwardly digest!"
Jon Peasey
Biblical Perspectives blog www.jon-peasey.blogspot.com
Ebooks author page https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/JRPeasey
[All
Scriptures quoted are from the New King James version; unless otherwise noted.
Words enclosed in [ ] are inserted
for clarity. Words in bold type
emphasise a point. You may notice some verses are
quoted with ... at the beginning,
ending or elsewhere in a verse. Only the relevant part or parts of the verse,
that relate directly to the current subject matter is quoted.]
If you have any questions or comments
you are invited to contact me via the comments section below.
