by Mike Bennett

Many of the prophecies of the Bible describe terrible and frightening events, the consequences of sin. But these are given for a purpose: to encourage people to repent and turn from sin.

Ultimately the prophecies contain good news. God promises to intervene to end the destruction and suffering and then teach mankind how to avoid the same troubles in the future.

God longs to comfort and heal those who turn to Him. Paul describes God as the “God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God” (2 Corinthians 1:3-4; see our article “Father of Mercies and God of All Comfort”).

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus also promised that those who mourn will be comforted (Matthew 5:4; see our article “Blessed Are Those Who Mourn”).

For more encouraging scriptures, see our article on “Encouraging Bible Verses.”