I will be honest. You would expect nothing less than that from any person, right? I try very hard to keep the devotions focused and that anyone can use for their personal situations. Sometimes my own feelings and thoughts collide with that and overflow so I write devotions to preach at myself too. Today is one of those.
I have been struggling with some issues in my so-called “life.” Things are not going exactly the way I would like them to go. Maybe I am experiencing my own mid-life crisis. (Don’t worry. I am not going out to buy a motorcycle!) Things are not happening the way I want them to happen nor are they happening fast enough for me. I ask God, “Why?” “Why not?” “When?” God responds with an answer that says that it’s not about what I want or what I expect to happen. It’s all focused on Him and His plan and purpose for me and the purpose for which HE created me. Still sometimes those words seem empty.
Do I need “more faith?” I thought I was faithful in quiet confidence. What is “more faith?” I pray my faith stays strong while at times it seems difficult and at other times seems not to make sense.
”All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.” (2 Corinthians 1:3-4 NLT)
God's care for us extends to the smallest and most hidden details of our lives. He knows when His children hurt and longs to offer comfort “Sing for joy, O heavens! Rejoice, O earth! Burst into song, O mountains! For the Lord has comforted his people and will have compassion on them in their suffering. (Isaiah 49:13 NLT)
The Lord's compassion is personal, continuous, and always available. We receive His comfort through the Holy Spirit, who lives within us. There is no situation or time when He is inaccessible to the believer. We can be consoled and reassured at any time, day or night.
Consider how the compassion of God was demonstrated through Jesus' life. He interacted even with the "untouchables"—people whose bodies were infected with a contagious disease. And no sickness of ours will prevent Him from caring for us.
Jesus had compassion on people with medical conditions. He not only healed them physically but also gave an even greater comfort. Each and every time He gave new life through the forgiveness of sins. And while our infirmities may remain, the Lord lovingly strengthens us to carry on into the future.
And what about the messes we get ourselves into? Peter's betrayal of Christ was met with forgiveness. Thomas' doubts were answered by Jesus Himself. Our mistakes won't stop Him from loving us. Even to His enemies, Jesus left the way open for repentance.
God's comfort and care are adequate for anything we face, whether it's declining health, insufficient finances, or family trouble. Then, once we've experienced His consolation, we are to become bearers of comfort to others. People everywhere are in great need of His compassion.
Whenever feelings of low self-worth threaten us with discouragement, we need to rely on the truth of God's Word rather than our emotions.
“But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. “Once you had no identity as a people; now you are God’s people. Once you received no mercy; now you have received God’s mercy.” (1 Peter 2:9-10 NLT)
“A Chosen People” – God chose you and me to be part of His kingdom and family because He wanted us. No one who has been specially selected by almighty God can call themselves insignificant or even forgotten.
“A Royal Priesthood” – As believers, we are children of God and, therefore, part of a royal family. In other words, we are "heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ." (Romans 8:17 KJV) Just as Jesus fulfilled the roles of both king and priest, so God has also entrusted us with priestly responsibilities of worship and intercession for others.
“A Holy Nation” – The church—or body of Christ—is a group of people who are holy, which means "set apart" for God’s specific plan and purpose individually. Our lives are never meaningless, because living for the Lord is the greatest purpose one can have.
A People for “God's Own Possession” – You and I are the personal possessions of God. He so values each of us that He sent His Son to die in our place in order that we could be His.
Each of these descriptions shows the high value God places on us. Satan may whisper lies of condemnation and criticism, but he can't change who we really are. Begin today to demonstrate the truth of Scripture by remembering our real identity and living out our high calling from the Lord.
God gives to us so that we can give to others. God comforts us so that we can comfort others. The Christian life is about loving, giving, caring, comforting, etc. How can we help hurting people? How can we help one another? After all, we are to love one and bear one another’s burdens. What can we do? We don’t know what to say or how to pray or what to do.
I’m convinced that there are many people in the world who are hurting unnecessarily because they refuse to turn for the source of all compassion and comfort. Here’s the hope for the hurting this morning: when there is discouragement and hurting, and comfort is what we seek, go to the source. There’s only one source, and that is God.
He is called the Father of compassion, and the God of all comfort. God wrote the book on compassion and comfort, because He is the creator of it. That is the best self-help book one could buy.
Hello Again!!
7 years ago
