Comfort

Monday, May 1, 2017

Comfort

Scripture:

2 Corinthians 1:3-5

³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, ⁴ who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in ^[b]any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. ⁵ For just as the sufferings of Christ are ^[c]ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ.

Hebrews 12:12-13

Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed.

2 Thessalonians 2:16-17

Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word.

Psalm 119:76

Let your steadfast love comfort me according to your promise to your servant.

Isaiah 49:13

Sing for joy, O heavens, and exult, O earth; break forth, O mountains, into singing! For the Lord has comforted his people and will have compassion on his afflicted.

Isaiah 40:29-31

He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

Romans 8:26-28

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

Devotional:

I’m hiding today. That’s right, I am hiding. I am hiding from my family, I am hiding from the world, I am hiding because I am spent. Exhausted. I need a mommy break. I complained last night to my husband (ugh, I was even disgusted with myself while I was in the middle of it….) that I just need some space. Some time alone. The poor man is losing his father, and I was whining about needing time alone. I apologized for my selfishness, because of course though indeed I need a mommy break, that was what it was. Selfish.

This morning, my first Husband gently woke me at 4:50 am. I was actually excited! I got up, got my coffee, and snuck into our family room. Normally, Robert is the one who gets up first and starts our routine but today, our Heavenly Father answered my cry for some time and gently rocked me out of bed first. And for what?

Comfort.

Oh, Father, You are good to me.

As I dug into His Word and the scriptures about comfort began to minister to my soul, He also showed me that in my reaching out to my sweet earthly husband for answers, I was forgetting Who is the true Source of my comfort. Comfort is in His Presence. Comfort comes from His heart to mine.

Today, I am raw and hurting. More so, of course, my husband is grieving and in the throes of loss. This sweet time with the Lord is the place that we need to come for comfort.

As parents of children with special needs, both strong willed and both with particular health challenges, we are even more in need of pressing in to the Lord for our comfort. We want to be the earthly reflection of our Heavenly Father to our children, and the only way we can do that is to press in to these quiet, solitary times with Him. Refreshed, renewed, comforted, we can give the same to them.

Moms, we need this time with our Husband and Father. He is waiting for you, wooing you, desiring to comfort and cherish and hold you close. Recharge you. Give you peace. Let Him pull you in. You will not regret a minute of this time with Him. All the other minutes of the day will bloom and blossom as you nourish your time through sitting with Him. Let Him be your comfort.

Prayer:

Father, I thank You that You pursue me. You desire time with me. Lord, I also thank You for the comfort You give. Forgive me for seeking it anywhere else. It can be hard at times to remember the true peace and refreshing that come from being in Your Presence and to try to find that peace and comfort elsewhere. I give You permission to keep reminding me and keep pulling me in.

Lord, I get so worried about my child(ren). There are times when I look at our circumstances, and they seem impossible and overwhelming. Help me to remember that You have a greater desire for our good than I do. You are with us in these challenging times. You know where we are, and You are not absent or uncaring. I pray that You would minister comfort to me, and heal my pain from unmet expectations. I want to be joyful and grateful, not miserable and overwhelmed and bitter.

I am so grateful that You are in the midst of (area of need or concern). You know the solution. You ARE the Solution. I give it to You today and ask that You would help me not to strive or worry.

Thank You for this time with You. Bless our home, and cover us with Your grace.

In Jesus’ Name I pray, amen.