10-3-2018

Good Morning All,

           2 Corinthians 1:3-4 ^“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”

    This past week we had the opportunity to babysit our 16-month old granddaughter for a couple of days.  She is usually a good-natured and good-spirited little girl who loves to play and rarely gets fussy; except when she doesn’t feel well or is teething.  She usually likes to just go and not sit on your lap for any length of time.  So, when she came up to me, with her runny nose and red eyes and feeling a little warm; she wanted up in my lap and she laid her head on my shoulder and I stroked her hair as gently as I could and hummed quietly in her ear and tried to comfort her.  She laid there about 10 minutes (an eternity for her) and then she got up and grandma gave her some Tylenol and she went down for a nap.

    That is probably as good an example as there is of what prayer really is.  It is crawling up into our heavenly Father’s lap and having Him comfort us.  He whispers into our ear those comforting words of hope, mercy, grace, hope and comfort.  Even though our physical experience may not change, we know that our heavenly Father will not abandon us and this current situation or event does not define us in our Father’s eyes.  We are always His beloved children and He will never abandon us.  We have eternal life and salvation with Him.

    The reason we often struggle with prayer is because we pray for “things.”  We pray for good health, good spouse, a good job; we pray for rain or for it to not rain, we pray for our country, etc.  Now these are not bad things to pray for but they do set us up.  If I pray for rain and it doesn’t; it is easy to think prayer doesn’t work.  How we should view prayer is as a relational moment with our loving God.

    I didn’t change anything in my granddaughter’s life.  I didn’t take the fever away, I didn’t take the sore mouth away, I didn’t even wipe her nose.  I just held her and comforted her so she could rest and have some comfort.  Sometimes, that is what God does as well.  Even though I prayed hard; my loved one was not healed, my relationship was still fractured, my health is still deteriorating; my earthly lot has not changed but God will always be there to comfort you, to hear your cries and still them; to hold you in His loving arms whispering into your ears the wonder of His grace, the joy of your salvation and the greatness of your eternal glory with Him.

    The brokenness of this sinful world will not end until Christ returns.  Until that happens, the comfort and love of the Father may be the extent of this life’s existence.  Yet the Father’s love gives us an eternity of love with Him.  His healing is real, His promise is sure and His grace is never ending.

Father of all comfort, we pray for those who know no comfort in this world.  Bring them into your arms and give them comfort, give them hope.  Lift their hearts to know that they are not abandoned nor left alone.  Strengthen their faith and revive their hope.  In the precious name of Jesus, our rock and our hope, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret