Comfort-All

Sandra was having one of those days. Call it hormones, call it stress, but she had hit rock bottom in a matter of minutes. That’s when the attack from the enemy started inside her mind. I’m so ugly. I’m fat. How could I let myself get this way? She cried out in despair about what a horrible mother she was. "I’m a mess!" The refrigerator began to call her name.

**

John was so tired of his job. It was a major struggle just to walk into his office everyday. Things at home weren’t exactly peachy either. No one seems to want to do their jobs. He wanted to give up. Just get in a car and drive far, far away. I need to think. I need a plan. If I could just have a plan. No sooner had another workday gone by than the couch and the television began to call his name.

**

God, I’ve prayed and prayed. I raised her well. I did what you told me to. Why is she rebelling against me this way? Jan was beside herself with turmoil over her daughter Maddie’s behavior. She said she hated me, God. She’s just so angry. Even in the middle of crying out to God, despair began to consume Jan, and the bed began to call her name.

**

If you were to write a short paragraph about your life during a dark time, what would it say? Stress comes in small or large packages, arriving on its own schedule. Grief comes and lingers, manifesting itself in various forms. Strongholds use their arms to grab us when we least expect it. Big pain, little pain, in-between pain. No matter, it hurts.

As I read a familiar Scripture this weekend, something new occurred to me. HE is the God of ALL comfort. He comforts us in ALL our troubles. ALL.

“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…” 2 Corinthians 1:3-4a

I quote the second half of that verse all the time to help myself in dark times. I think, I’ll have compassion to share with others, Lord, because of the comfort I’ve received from You. Every bit of that thought process is true, and it’s good to remember, but PLEASE don’t ignore the first part.

No other god in this world can give us the comfort we need in our troubles. Not the pantry, not the television, not a plan, not an escape, not a relationship, not a warm bath or a bottle of brandy…NONE of it can offer us the comfort for which our hearts were designed. HE is the God of ALL comfort.

Not only is He the God of all comfort. He also comforts us in ALL our troubles. Big ones, little ones, in-between ones. We tend to compare, but as I stated above, pain hurts no matter what kind it is. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be called pain. Don’t hesitate to turn to Him for whatever need you have. He’s compassionate, and He will always tell you the Truth in love. He may even provide some of the outlets above, or a friend or whatever as part of the means of doing so. But He is a jealous God, and He certainly won’t share you with those things if we begin to rely too heavily on them to meet our needs.

So, all in all, let Him be your all. Surrender all of your pain. Don’t leave a droplet of it behind for the enemy to use against you. Take off all the band-aids and patches, and expose the wounds to Him. He will keep His promises. His name is Comfort-All.

Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits-Who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion…” Psalm 103:2-4

Lord, we praise You, and we long to wear Your crown of love and compassion today. Help us to surrender all of ourselves to You today. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

In the Key of HE,