"Comfort"

The January 11th verse from L.B. Cowman’s devotional book, Streams in the Desert, is from Isaiah 40:1 “Comfort, comfort my people, says your God”.

Cowman writes, “Store up comfort. This was the prophet Isaiah’s mission. The world is full of hurting and comfortless hearts. But before you will be competent for this lofty ministry, you must be trained. And your training is extremely costly, for to make it complete you too must endure the same afflictions that are wringing countless hearts of tears and blood. Consequently, your own life becomes the hospital ward where you are taught the divine art of comfort. You will be wounded so that in the binding up of your wounds by the Great Physician, you may learn how to render first aid to the wounded everywhere.”

Several years back, I was struggling not only with the grief of losing my husband, my son’s battle with leukemia, but those emotions seem to also trigger painful areas from my childhood that I had thought were buried and “put away”. I was struggling with being faced with all that had happened. I approached my pastor to inquire about our church having some kind of grief support that I could attend. To my surprise, he suggested I lead it! I was stunned. Should the person still suffering lead a group? Well, I did find out how helpful it was not only for me, but for those other ladies who were willing to bare their souls in our class. Everyone needs a safe place to share and be encouraged to move forward.

So let me encourage you today~ don’t hide from the pain anymore and stop blaming others. Instead of asking why did it happen or how will I make it, start asking “Who”. Who is the Redeemer, Savior, Comforter, Councilor, Physician, and Lord of our lives? Just let Christ have access and through His Spirit healing will come. Be patient… healing sometimes comes after quite a bit of time of wrestling away the bitterness, pain, anger, and sorrow. You can then bring that same wonderful healing fruit to others. Let your pain and painful circumstances be accessed—just let Him in. What else really matters?