Day Eight: God's Comfort

Psalm 34:18
"The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit."

Psalm 73:26
"My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."

Today's post requires two pieces of scripture because of how imperative God's love and comfort are to me and how much they have been stamped on my life. I have learned that I can only rely is God's comfort and His love in my life. Sure others can bring you comfort and love you, but the feeling and the knowledge that God, our Creator, wants to comfort us and love us more than anything is such an amazing feeling. During times of extreme pain though, I can understand how a physical hug and comforting words can seem to be more of a comfort that God's love and comfort for us. I will be honest, I have felt that way before, on a couple occasions, but I have learned how to focus my mind primarily on God's love and comfort first and foremost.

In August 2009, I had just become a Christian. I was on fire for the Lord and was ready to be baptized and show my love for the Lord to everyone. Well... my fire and new passion for the Lord was quickly put to the test.


The Friday before I was to be baptized, my grandmother passed away. My grandmother was my best friend to say the least. I was not only the first granddaughter, but the first grandchild as well so I had a pretty special bond with her from the beginning. The morning I found out I was shattered. Guilt crept up because I had put off calling her that entire week before it happened. Pain was the only thing I felt. I questioned God's sovereignty that day. I asked why continuously in between the tears and heaving sobs. I didn't understand. I didn't know how to let God comfort me when I was so angry with Him. Yes... I was angry with God. It took me only a short day later to realize I was madder at myself than at God. I clung to my friends for comfort after it happened. I clung to their words and their hugs. I didn't know how to cling to God during heart-break. I felt abandon by God at that moment. I was a "baby" Christian and I had a lot to learn.

And learn I did. I had a friend recently tell me that a break-up with someone you deeply care about is like a death. A part of you is broken and crushed. You often wonder why this is happening. You often feel as though you have been abandon by God. But when you know that your Lord and Savior loves you and does this out of love and protection, things begin to become clear. The veil over your eyes seems to be lifted and you have a sense of understanding and an insight into why everything is happening. You run to Him and to the cross. You fall to your knees and pray to your Lord and Savior. You pray for His peace, His comfort, His arms to be wrapped around you, His love to come into your heart. I can tell you that the feeling you have when this occurs is like no other feeling in the world. I can tell you that because I have felt it. I have felt it to the point of where I felt Christ's arms around me, comforting His daughter.

Do you see the difference? The difference in trusting God and wanting to curse Him because we don't understand? Even though we may not understand why the things in our lives are happening, we cannot run away from the pain, but we have to run to the cross. Not walk, but RUN. Our best girlfriends or guy friends are an amazing blessing and can be a great comfort, but nothing, and I do mean nothing, compares to the comfort of our Lord and Savior when we sit at His feet and let Him wrap his arms around us and comfort us. He is our "Abba" Father. Do you know what "Abba" means? It means Father, but as in a close personal relationship. It could then be translated to mean "daddy". He wants to comfort us and love us. He wants to protect us. He is our Dad. He is the Ultimate Dad.

I have had to rely on God's comfort so much in my life. But what I realized after coming home from my mission trip to Tuxtla Gutierrez was that I rely on God for a lot of material things where some rely on God's comfort as a way to make it through life each day and to keep on breathing.

I will be the first to admit that I have prayed for the good Lord to fill my lungs when I could not breathe. It has happen on more than one occasion. I am so blessed that God not only gives me the air in my lungs, but allows me to have the blessings in my life so that I may live my life in such an amazing way. I then close my eyes and see the sweet children I was able to love on for 9 days. They have very little. Some wear the same clothes for days in a row. Some trade off clothes. Some have shoes that are modified because their feet grow; some have no shoes at all. Some are sick and some had been so abused and neglected that they are so small and you can't even tell their age. But these children smile. These children love. They know how to comfort one another. They know what it means to be comforted by the Lord and know that even though they might not understand why things have happen the way they have that the Lord is holding them always and they can always run to Him. I would give anything to live like that every moment of the day. I pray to the Lord that He gives me that strength.

My question and challenge for you today are one in the same, where do you find your comfort? Do you find it in a bottle, in a sexual relationship, popping pills, a job, a sinful life or do you find your comfort in the one place and the one person that wants to comfort you the most? Do you find your comfort at the cross with our Lord and Savior? My challenge for you is to think about that today. If you don't find yourself running to the cross, falling to your knees and weeping to our Lord and Savior ask yourself why. Do you feel as though He doesn't care about your pain and suffering? Do you feel He has bigger things to worry about? I know I used to feel that way. But OH MY GOODNESS! His grace and comfort is enough. If you do not know that yet, I am praying that you run to the cross. I am praying for you my friend.

I will end with this verse. I love the whole thing, but this portion of it just seems fitting. It's Philippians 4:7

"And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (bold and italics mine)

In Him and For His Glory!

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