November 16

“What do we mean by the comfort God gives?....is it an honest and genuine comfort that enfolds life’s trials and pains in an all-embracing peace?  With all my heart I believe it is...”  Hannah Whitall Smith, God is Enough, 10/27

The words “comfort” and “comfortable” don’t hold the same meanings for me even though the dictionary would beg to differ.  When I think of being comfortable I think “free from any bother” whether it be mental, physical, emotional, or spiritual.  In fact it conjures up images of being lazy---how many times have I’ve gotten comfortable with the way something was to the point of not bothering to do what needed to be done?  So when I hear words like “comfort” connected with God I don’t always let the real meaning of the word sink in.  What I’m learning is that it is OK to be comfortable in the midst of the hard places in life if God is the source of your comfort.  When He isn’t the source, then it means you’ve gone outside His will to find your comfort.  This will always backfire.  It is a temporary comfort that serves to lull you into complacency.  This reminder is not only a comfort to me, but also will be a source of compassion when I see others attempting to make themselves comfortable in difficult circumstances.  Rather than be angry with them for seemingly ignoring their problems, instead I will pray that they will turn to God instead to receive their comfort.

“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.”  2 Corinthians 1:3, 4 

February 5

“I am sure for myself that I would be far more grieved if my child should mistrust me, and should feel her interests were unsafe in my care, than if in a moment of temptation she should disobey me.  And I am convinced that none of us have appreciated how deeply it wounds the loving heart of our Lord, when He finds that His people do not feel safe in His care.”  Hannah Whitall Smith, “The God of All Comfort”, p. 114

Hannah went on to say since God is our dwelling place  nothing we commit to His care can come to any harm.  She then admonished me for continuing to worry about my children--that I must bring them with me into God’s strong tower--worrying about them is leaving them outside!  Anything that is dear to us, who have taken refuge in God, is dear to God.   It is with these words that I went to sleep last night.  I was awakened around 4:30 and remembered what I’d read, so I prayed for my children.  When it was time for my 15-year-old to get up for school I found that he had come down with the flu.  This was a test.  Had I brought him into God’s strong tower with me?  Yes!  The anxiety I usually felt whenever any of my children became ill with the simplest cold was not there.  An abiding trust instead gave me assurance that my child is in God’s healing hands.  My role is to be his comforter and even then I can be assured that it is The Comforter who will be doing the comforting.  This gives me great comfort!

“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.”  2 Corinthians 1:3,4