God our Comfort

In the movie Forrest Gump, Forrest's lifelong friend Jenny had endured a childhood of abuse and neglect at the hands of her father. In one scene, Forrest and Jenny visit her old house, and Forrest watches as Jenny throws stone after stone at the weather-beaten old house which held so many painful memories for her.

When Jenny finally quit throwing rocks and began to cry, Forrest said, "Sometimes there just aren't enough rocks.


When we experience pain at the hands of those who are supposed to love and care for us, no amount of rock-throwing can repair the damage.
 
Instead of lashing out, we must turn to God and rest in the comforting promises of our Lord and Savior, the one true "rock" (Psalm 18:2).  The comfort He offers is never in short supply.
 

The Total Christian Guy, Harvest House, 1996, p. 127


The LORD is our rock and our fortress and our deliverer; Our God, our strength, in whom we will trust; Our shield and the horn of our salvation, our stronghold!  For who is God, except the LORD? And who is a rock, except our God?  Psalm 18:2, 31  The LORD lives! Blessed be our Rock! Let the God of our salvation be exalted. Psalm 18:46.



Bow down Your ear to us, Deliver us speedily; Be our rock of refuge, A fortress of defense to save us.
For You are our rock and our  fortress; Therefore, for Your name’s sake, Lead us and guide us.

Psalm 31:2-3  

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 tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ. 2 Cor 1:3-5



Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy,  fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Phil 2:1-3

Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all. See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all. 1 Thess 5:14-15  


Brina Gonzalez writes;


Dear Heavenly Father, You have abundantly blessed me With special loved ones... Who have loved and comforted me Throughout this life of mine. Thank you for being so gracious to me; You take care of my every need. I come to you in prayer Asking You to bless... A very special Loved one. This dear person is in pain; The kind only you can take away. As I send up this prayer Please comfort this loved one; And in your own unique way... Let them feel your presence. It will help them so much to know; That they are never ever really alone. I have complete trust in You... I know that you can hear me; And will answer my prayer. Soon my loved one will know Just how much You and I care for them so. Thank you once again For all that you do; Not just for me, But many others too. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Jesus Christ Paid the Price

For those of us who resent or begrudge God for the suffering and sadness that consistently visit the human experience, we would do well to ponder the words of Dorothy L Sayers:

"Whatever the reason God chose to make man as he is -- limited and suffering and subject to sorrows and death -- He had the honesty and the courage to take His own medicine.

And when we see Him, There is no beauty that we should desire Him.
He is despised and rejected by men,
A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.

And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted.  Isaiah 53:2-4

Whatever game He is playing with His creation, He has kept His own rules and played fair. He can exact nothing from man that He has not exacted from Himself. He has Himself gone through the whole of human experience, from the trivial irritations of family life and the cramping restrictions of hard work and lack of money to the worst horrors of pain and humiliation, defeat, despair, and death. When He was a man, He played the man. He was born in poverty and died in disgrace and thought it well worthwhile."

We have all sinned and are all, therefore, deserving of God's judgment, which includes both physical and spiritual death (Romans 6:23).  If this is not enough to humble us in the face of suffering, then perhaps the realization that God asks nothing of us that He hasn't asked of Himself should help.  Especially in light of the fact that while we are deserving of our pain, Jesus was not.  Add to these considerations the fact that there is one thing Jesus suffered that has not been asked of us--to die for our sins! THAT Jesus did for us.  In light of all of this, we must let the bitter chill of resentment melt away and be replaced by the warmth of eternal gratitude. 

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name!  Psalm 100:4  Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good!For His mercy endures forever. Psalm 107:1






[Dorothy L. Sayers (1893-1957) born in Oxford, England, was a renowned translator of ancient literature, essayist, poet, mystery writer, and author of assorted Christian works.]