Ecclesiastes 4:1
“So I returned, and considered all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and behold the tears of such as were oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors there was power; but they had no comforter.”
Truly, one of the saddest statements found in the Scriptures is found in the verse above. It is said twice, “…they had no comforter.” To think of all that these people were going through, and yet no person would go out of their way to comfort them. It reminds me of the time when the Good Samaritan who, when he saw a man was beaten and left to die, stopped and helped when no one else would help. It ought never to be said about anyone with whom you come in contact that they had no comforter. Four thoughts come to mind when I look at this verse.
First, are you a comforter of the oppressed? It says in the verse above, “So I returned, and considered all the oppressions that are done under the sun…and they had no comforter…” The oppressed are those who are treated unjustly. It is those who are the outcasts of the crowd. I wonder if I were to ask the oppressed whom you are around if you are the one they can count on to comfort them. If you have ever been on the wrong side of unjust treatment, you would understand the helpless feeling when nobody comes to your defense. Friend, I would rather be a comfort to the oppressed than to be accepted by the popular who oppress.
Second, are you a comforter for the hurting? It says in the verse above, “…behold the tears of such as were oppressed…” There are many whom God leads across your path on a regular basis who you could comfort if you would slow down to see their tears. I think of those who have lost a loved one; are you there to comfort them in their loss or are you too busy to be inconvenienced? Are you there for those who’s heart has been broken? One of the greatest Christian acts you can regularly perform is to be an encouragement to the hurting.
Third, are you a comforter for the weak. The verse above talks about those who were oppressed because there “was no power.” There are many in life whom you could give a helping hand if you would be sure that your life is not wrapped up in yourself. If you ever want to be used mightily by God, you are going to have to realize that life does not revolve around you. The Christian must take their eyes off themselves and see that God has placed others around them who need their helping hand to make it in their time of weakness. For instance, instead of criticizing the fallen, why not be the comforter to help them get up to make something of their life? There are those who may be struggling in their Christian life; are you doing your best to help them overcome whatever weakness they have? This is one of the greatest things you could do as a Christian.
Finally, how about spending your life introducing people to The Comforter. Yes, I’m talking about introducing others to Jesus Christ. The greatest thing you could do to comfort others is to show them how to get saved, because once they are saved, they will never be without The Comforter. Don’t let it be said on your watch that “they had no comforter.” You can always be assured that you have left people with comfort when you lead them to Jesus Christ, Who will give them The Comforter.
Second, you must choose to forgive those who have hurt you. Nobody made Job pray for his friends. God didn’t tell him he had to pray for them, but he chose to do it. You can open the doors to freedom from unforgiveness and the desire to get revenge if you choose to do so. It is a matter of you taking the initiative to forgive the person who hurt you. You will only be able to do it through prayer. Don’t be so foolish to stay incarcerated in unforgiveness. You hold the keys to your freedom if you will forgive. What are you going to do with those keys?