3-28-2020

 Good Morning All,

             Isaiah 66:13; “As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you; and you will be comforted over Jerusalem.”

    A young child is frightened by a noise outside of the house, he screams and mom rushes in to comfort him, to reassure him that he is safe.  He rests in her arms, sighs and soon is once again sleeping.  A young teen age girl comes home, crying because her boyfriend has just broken up with her.  Her parents hold her, letting her cry her tears, drying them off until she is cried out and sighs into her mother’s arms and rests.  The examples could go on, but you know the stories; we have all lived them.  Sometime in our lives we needed comfort and, most likely, we have comforted others.

    In my years of observance, giving comfort is a fascinating event.  In some ways, it is one of the most primal acts in which we bare ourselves and express our vulnerabilities.  When one needs comfort, we realize, whether consciously or subconsciously, that we are incapable of dealing with the situation.  One thing that truly intrigues me is that the vast majority of the times when I have been part of comforting someone; they usually reach a point when they let out a sigh, or exhale deeply, and then they sort of slump a little in the shoulders, like they are all played out.  I have always thought this was a good sign.  For it seems they are emptying themselves of their pain.  Here, God can refill you with his hope, his love, his grace and mercy to restore you to the peace that we all desire and need.

    In some ways, being comforted is about letting go of your fears, your anxieties, your worries and letting someone else deal with them.  I think this is why God uses the image of a mother comforting her child as the way He comforts us.  The image of a loving God embracing us with his loving arms and holding us close to His breast where we can hear the heartbeat is an image that should give us peace.

    Many of us today need comfort.  The uncertainty of this virus pandemic only multiplies our stress in other parts of our lives.  Some stress about loved ones whose health makes them more vulnerable.  Some worry about their jobs.  Some are anxious about planning events.  Some are just upended because routine seems to be a thing of the past.  We all are stressed; we all need comforted and God’s loving arms are open wide.

    So, pray and express your worries, your fears and your doubts and empty yourself to God.  Let his words of comfort fill you with his peace.  Let his promise of salvation sustain you.  Let his mercy uplift you and his grace encourage you.  So we may speak with Paul, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort,  who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.”

Father send your comfort to us this day.  Release us from dread and fear.  Enliven our faith so that we look only to You.  Let us each be comforted so that we may be Your comforting embrace to our neighbor.  In the Precious name of Jesus, we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret