1-5-2020

Good Morning All, 

         Psalm 119:50; “This is my comfort in my affliction, that your promise gives me life.”

    A few years ago, my wife and I watched our (then) two grandchildren while their mom and dad went to a party.  It started out fine; everything pretty normal.  We play tag team and swap grandchildren; there is no better game.  Grandma was holding our granddaughter when she started to scream and cry.  We tried all our tricks but to no avail.  Eventually she calmed down; we are not sure of what caused her distress.  Hopefully, it was just a tummy ache.   

    When she finally calmed down; she had her smile and her giggles working again.  At four months, she likes it.  But when she was hurting, when she was crying, she refused to be comforted.  She couldn’t tell us what was wrong.  She could only cry.  I held her close; I whispered to her, but nothing would console her.  She wouldn’t listen, she couldn’t tell us so being comforted was difficult for her.

    There are many times when we are just like her.  We cry and cry.  We are full of pain.  We feel the pain of broken promises from our loved ones and neighbors.  We feel the pain of broken relationships.  Often times, we suffer most when we look to our past and hold onto the failures and the past.  We never see past the sadness. 

    All the time, God is holding us.  We are never alone.  His Spirit is there to offer us comfort.  He speaks the words of forgiveness; he speaks the words of comfort and hope.  He comes to us in the depths of our crying at the height of our despair to offer us his quiet peace.  We may cry and cry refusing to be comforted but God never stops bringing us comfort.  He never stops speaking the word of his love and mercy.  He never stops holding us.  We are his children and God desires to bring us peace and to make us whole.

    As my granddaughter cried, I wanted nothing more for her than to be comforted, that she would know peace and that she would have rest but I didn’t know what she needed, I didn’t know what or where her pain was.  Fortunately for us, God knows the source of our pain and he has the cure.  He has what we need to find our peace.  He gives us his sacred promise that nothing will ever separate us from his love and blessings.  He will never abandon us no matter how loud we cry or how long we wail.  Even when we refuse his comfort, God continues to give us hope. 

    So, God says to us, “be still and know that I am God.”  Be still and rest in his loving arms. Be still and trust the promises that God gives us.  Find your comfort in his mercy.

Father, in my cries of pain I often miss the knowledge of your loving embrace. In your mercy, you never abandon me.  In you I have peace.  Comfort those in most need of your care.  Send your Spirit that they may know your holy rest.  In the precious name of Jesus our Risen Savior we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret