The Great Comforter
God is continuously placing challenges in our life. His tests are strategic and intentional, and at times can be so difficult that we question our own perseverance and strength. Those are the times, however, when God reminds us that we survive, not by our own strength, but His. We succeed, not by our own greatness, but His. We persevere, not by our own endurance, but by His Love alone.
A death in the family. The loss of a home. A child “too young to die.” A serious health scare.
None of these circumstances are easy. Each can leave a feeling of fear, emptiness, and insecurity. But as I’ve watched close friends and family suffer in all of these trials throughout the last couple weeks, I’ve witnessed the hand of God working in each of my loved ones’ lives.
God has provided relief and good news amidst the storm. God’s promises are not lost within tragedy, but on the contrary, they are fulfilled! The temporary sufferings, disappointment and sadness produced by Earth’s tragedies do not begin to compare to the bliss, perfection, and happiness we will one day experience as we rejoice in the Kingdom of Heaven with our Jesus.
A good friend’s mother recently pointed out, “Why do we, as Christians, expect not to suffer? Jesus suffered more than any of us!”
Jesus endured more physical pain, emotional abuse, and painful rejection than any one of us will experience in our lifetime! And He did it for us. For you and for me. Without hesitation, He accepted the pain and endured the suffering. Jesus committed the most selfless act known to humankind…not so that we could live painless, perfect lives on Earth…but so that we may experience the grace and mercy of forgiveness and one day live painless, perfect lives in Heaven.
In the meantime, however, life hurts. The sting of death and loss can torture us and even bring us down if we let it. But the one constant comfort and strength we can trust is Jesus. Jesus is SO good! God uses circumstance to give us perspective on relationships, materials, and life. To know Him, is to truly live. To have the opportunity to bring my prayers and the trials and suffering of my friends and family to His throne is a greater Blessing than any of us deserve...yet still one He has made us worthy of.
That entire thought is absolutely unfathomable to me. That He loves us just that much. As I try to picture it…to put it into words…I can’t. It’s a feeling of warmth, freedom, and comfort that consumes my body…brings tears of joy and thankfulness to my eyes. But no words can articulate. If you’ve given your heart to Christ, you know what I’m talking about. His hand of strength covers you like a divine wall of protection. And even through the Devil’s vicious and persistent attempts, the Lords wall cannot be broken. When we put our faith in the Lord, He is our strength. When we stand on His rock alone, He is our stronghold. When we ache, and hurt, and worry, and fear, the Lord protects and comforts and loves us…endlessly.
For all of my friends and family who ache with the tragedy and unstable pain of life on Earth…I pray that you find stillness in His presence, reassurance in His Promise, and comfort in His arms.
"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.
We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many."
2 Corinthians 1:3-11
A death in the family. The loss of a home. A child “too young to die.” A serious health scare.
None of these circumstances are easy. Each can leave a feeling of fear, emptiness, and insecurity. But as I’ve watched close friends and family suffer in all of these trials throughout the last couple weeks, I’ve witnessed the hand of God working in each of my loved ones’ lives.
God has provided relief and good news amidst the storm. God’s promises are not lost within tragedy, but on the contrary, they are fulfilled! The temporary sufferings, disappointment and sadness produced by Earth’s tragedies do not begin to compare to the bliss, perfection, and happiness we will one day experience as we rejoice in the Kingdom of Heaven with our Jesus.
A good friend’s mother recently pointed out, “Why do we, as Christians, expect not to suffer? Jesus suffered more than any of us!”
Jesus endured more physical pain, emotional abuse, and painful rejection than any one of us will experience in our lifetime! And He did it for us. For you and for me. Without hesitation, He accepted the pain and endured the suffering. Jesus committed the most selfless act known to humankind…not so that we could live painless, perfect lives on Earth…but so that we may experience the grace and mercy of forgiveness and one day live painless, perfect lives in Heaven.
In the meantime, however, life hurts. The sting of death and loss can torture us and even bring us down if we let it. But the one constant comfort and strength we can trust is Jesus. Jesus is SO good! God uses circumstance to give us perspective on relationships, materials, and life. To know Him, is to truly live. To have the opportunity to bring my prayers and the trials and suffering of my friends and family to His throne is a greater Blessing than any of us deserve...yet still one He has made us worthy of.
That entire thought is absolutely unfathomable to me. That He loves us just that much. As I try to picture it…to put it into words…I can’t. It’s a feeling of warmth, freedom, and comfort that consumes my body…brings tears of joy and thankfulness to my eyes. But no words can articulate. If you’ve given your heart to Christ, you know what I’m talking about. His hand of strength covers you like a divine wall of protection. And even through the Devil’s vicious and persistent attempts, the Lords wall cannot be broken. When we put our faith in the Lord, He is our strength. When we stand on His rock alone, He is our stronghold. When we ache, and hurt, and worry, and fear, the Lord protects and comforts and loves us…endlessly.
For all of my friends and family who ache with the tragedy and unstable pain of life on Earth…I pray that you find stillness in His presence, reassurance in His Promise, and comfort in His arms.
"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.
We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many."
2 Corinthians 1:3-11
posted by the way I see it... at 5:29 PM
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