The God of Comfort

Tuesday, May 9, 2017

The God of Comfort

Scripture:

Matthew 5:4

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”

Revelation 21:4

“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

2 Corinthians 1:3-5

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.

Isaiah 53:3

He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

Romans 12:15

Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.

Isaiah 61:1-3

“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me,
Because the Lord has anointed Me
To preach good tidings to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives,
And the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
² To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord,
And the day of vengeance of our God;
To comfort all who mourn,
³ To console those who mourn in Zion,
To give them beauty for ashes,
The oil of joy for mourning,
The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;
That they may be called trees of righteousness,
The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.”

Devotional:

Blessed are those who mourn. They shall be comforted.

As I have  shared, this is a season of grief and mourning in our home as my husband’s father has passed. Grief has become almost a place of intrigue for me in the past several years since I lost my father in 2008. I attended a grief care seminar for several weeks following his death, as well as multiple recovery sessions over the years that have highlighted the stages of grief. The stages, as I think they are easiest to understand, are listed as follows:

- Shock or Disbelief
- Denial
- Anger
- Bargaining
- Guilt
- Depression
- Acceptance and Hope

This model covers seven stages, though in some circles they are combined as five.

I have learned a lot in relationship to grief over the years, and have moved in and out of the different stages for a variety of purposes. Grief is not limited to death, and can be ignored for a time but can’t be avoided without serious repercussions. God has led me through the grieving of my ideals, the grieving of the perfect, grieving over loss of friendships, jobs, dreams, and in recent years, the grieving that comes from having children with special needs and serious illnesses.

I have come to recognize that being acquainted with grief has given me a true gift. It has allowed space in my heart and life to walk with those who grieve, who mourn, who are walking out real and painful circumstances. As a person who has found myself in the midst of a large number of very painful circumstances, I have also encountered many who are avoidant in response to the pain of life. When a person hasn’t gone in to the pain of grief, this avoidance can cause pretense and a calloused spirit. “Grin and bear it is” projected if not expressed, and conversation surrounding painful topics is cut off.

Despised and rejected.

This is often true for people who are going through a time of grief and mourning. It can be surprising how alone it can feel. But it doesn’t have to feel that way. The truth is, whatever we are going through, Jesus is intimately acquainted with our sorrow. He has also walked through grief and sorrow with many of His people, and there are places and people who have a capacity to share in that grief. Pressing in to community can be so hard when we are hurting, but it truly is God’s design for our healing. He works through the Holy Spirit in His people and in the sharing of burdens with each other to allow a place to heal, grow, and become enlarged and capable of handling the burdens of others by His Spirit.

I like to describe it as “making space.” When I allow God to take me through the valley of the shadow of death in any area of my life, He uses that to make space that I can walk alongside another. I have the space within me to sit next to another, talk with another, or just care for what they are experiencing so that I can represent the Man of Sorrows. Acquainted with grief.

I am so grateful that I don’t have a false pretense, that I have the Holy Spirit to guide me as we walk out this time. Being able to shoulder the burden alongside my husband as he walks this out, his first major loss. And God is faithful as He gently guides my husband, walking him through the grieving of other things that relate to the loss of his father. This process will not be over quickly. That will be OK. We are making space.

Prayer:

Father, I am so thankful that You are the God of comfort. You are acquainted with sorrow and grief, and it is not fearful for You. Guide us in our grieving, and give us the courage to grieve as we need to.

Lord, I lift up my children today. There are times when I am disappointed with the reality of parenting a child with special challenges. I don’t know what to do all the time. I get frustrated, try to pretend I am OK, ignore the problems and hope they will go away, but ultimately You are the One Who gave me this assignment, and I want to press into the grieving process and lay aside my ideals to embrace it. I want to walk in hope, and I want to do what is right and best for this (these) child(ren).

You know what to do. Please guide me.

I lift up (area of particular need or concern) to Your throne. I just need You to handle it. I give it to You and surrender control.

I thank You for Your gifts of truth, righteousness by Jesus, faith, hope and love. Bless our home today with peace and harmony.

In Jesus’ Name I pray, amen.