God is our Comforter
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all consolation, who consoles us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to console those who are in any affliction with the consolation with which we ourselves are consoled by God. For just as the sufferings of Christ are abundant for us, so also our consolation is abundant through Christ.”
The great thing about leaving our houses and seeing other people is that it helps us get outside ourselves, and outside our own heads. It helps to put everything in perspective; it reminds us that our feelings and reality are not always the same thing. So being stuck in our own worlds for a long time presents the challenge of putting our emotions in their proper place.
We honor them, we don’t judge them. But we don’t let them rule us.
We feel them, we process them. But we don’t give them free reign.
For myself, the last few days in particular have been really draining. Because I thrive on feedback. Because my income finally took the hit that was coming Corona cancellations. Because I am already prone to overthink, and if unchallenged, I am really good at explaining every difficult part of my life in terms of my own inadequacies.
But God is our consoler. In other translations, our comforter. He alleviates the pain of what we are going through; perhaps not by changing the circumstances, but by reminding us of His power and sovereignty.
I need frequent reminders that external validation cannot save me. When I am distracted by all my normal busy-ness, I don’t always notice how quickly I start to live as if it will.
I have also noticed that when things feel out of control, I open my banking app and start moving money around. If not faced with uncertainty, how else will my heart come to truly believe that Christ alone is my assurance of hope?
God brings the comfort and consolation of knowing there is more going on than just the cold, hard facts.
Because God turns evil and tragedy and loss against ITSELF to bring about blessing. When Jesus died, Death thought it won. But through Jesus’ death, God gave the gift of eternal life.
“Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.”
Similarly, we take comfort in knowing that sometimes, painful things are God’s discipline for our good. Even the sting of redirection is an act of great love. The rod and the staff -- the tools the Shepherd uses to keep us on the path to green pastures and still waters, the path through and out of the Valley of the Shadow of Death -- bring COMFORT in as much as they might bring momentary discomfort.
“Even though I walk through the darkest valley,
I fear no evil;
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff—
they comfort me.”
God, in your mercy, by your Spirit, intercede for us according to the will of God. You tie each of the painful loose ends into beautiful tapestry. Thank you for the comfort of knowing that we are safe; help our hearts believe it. Amen.