"As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you; and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem." Isaiah 66:13
What does this tell me about God?
Here we learn that God is one who comforts us. Ever felt like there was nobody who understood your struggles? Nobody who was able to cheer you up or ease your pain? Who can better do those things than the one who created you? Who knows you by heart! The Bible tells us he even know how many hairs you have on your head! (Luke 12:7).
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” Matthew 5:4
So how does God comfort us?
Through His presence: whenever His children go through difficult times, He reminds them that is there with them - helping them, giving them strength etc.
“Be not dismayed, for I am with you. I will not fail you or forsake you, wherever you go. Be strong and of good courage.” Deuteronomy 31:6
Through His Word: God comforts us through the promises and encouragements found in the Bible. In it you will find help for any thing you deal with in life. Just google Bible verses about "x" and you will see there is always something relative!
“This is my comfort in my affliction, for Your word has given me life.” Psalm 119:50
Through other people: Sometimes feeling understood and being comforted by another here on earth can really help. So although God is able to provide all the comfort we need, He also sends people to comfort us when maybe we have trouble trusting in Him.
"And Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah's tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her: and Isaac was comforted after his mother's death." Genesis 24:67
What does this tell me about myself?
“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.” 2 Corinthians 1:3-4
The Bible teaches us that we need to comfort others just as we have been comforted. As we learn in the Beatitudes, when we mourned, God comforted us. We are blessed because we have a knowledge of the One true comforter, the only one that can bring remedy to our diseased hearts. But this blessing God does not desire for us to keep to ourselves. As we have received, we are told to give back. It's our duty and our privilege to demonstrate the love of God by being like Him: a comfort to others.
Can we say of ourselves that we have been a comfort to those around us? Comfort can touch many aspects of our lives.
Emotional comfort - when someone is sad, do we try to uplift them? When someone is struggling, do we listen to them? When someone is afraid, do we encourage them? When someone needs answers, do we give them advice?
Physical comfort - do we feed those who are hungry? Do we take in strangers who are of need of shelter? Do we do things for others that they aren't able to do themselves?
Spiritual comfort - do we seek to guide others to Jesus when things aren't going well? Do we encourage those who are struggling in their walks? Do we listen without judgement?
I'm sure we all fall short when it comes to comforting.
Specifically in this verse, God's comfort is compared to that of a mother. So to all the mothers we need to ask ourselves the question: are we of comfort to our children? You know one of the main ways our children understand who God is is by seeing the example of their parents? In a way we are like their "god" here on earth when they are little. They depend fully on us and are to listen to us and follow us wherever we go. Often times, children grow up disliking God because of the characters of their parents. They associate the way their parents treat them to God. We are told that God is our Father so if a parent treats us poorly, we associate their behaviour to our other parent: God. How important then is our job as mothers! If we treat them as God treats us, they will learn to love God because they'll see Him in us! This is a great responsibility that we have. So it's really important to ask ourselves, do I bring comfort to my children? By listening to their problems even though they may seem minor to us. By being understanding and trying to understand them better rather than judge them. By showing support and love even when they disappoint us.
How do I apply this practically?
Seek to find out where you are lacking when it comes to comforting. Are you a person who tends to give a lot of advice and help others emotionally but lack the willingness to help physically? Or are you the type to help the physical needs but neglect the emotional or spiritual? Once you've pinpoint where you fall short, make a decided effort to be of comfort whenever the opportunity arises. For example, the next time a person seems sad or having trouble emotionally, rather than avoiding the topic or situation seek to understand them better by asking questions and listening. You can also google "how to comfort someone emotionally" which can be helpful (yes I've done it). Another example for physical comfort, if someone in your home asks you help for something around the house, make the effort to go and help. At the beginning these things may be hard but over time they will become part of your habits and be natural to you! Just think of all the comfort God has brought you, don't you wish to share it with others?
I hope you learned something about comfort today and I pray God will keep blessing you on your journey with Him.
Prayer: Dear God, thank you for Your Word in which I can learn so much about you and so much about myself. Please forgive me for the times I've failed to bring comfort to others and please help me as of now to change that part of myself. Give me Your Holy Spirit for wisdom, strength and willingess and help me follow Your ways always. Thank you for always being of comfort to me. In the name of Jesus, Amen.
Much love and smiles,
Nahisha :)
Comments