Comfort My People

Sometimes we experience brokenness in life, and we need tender expressions of encouragement. Life has a way of beating us up. Sickness, suffering and death are crushing companions. Our sin and the sins of others compound. We need comfort in times of sadness. Ecclesiastes 4:1 describes the pain: “Again, I saw all the oppressions that are done under the sun. And behold, the tears of the oppressed, and they had no one to comfort them! On the side of their oppressors there was power, and there was no one to comfort them.” Conversely, Psalm 23:4 says: “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil,for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” In other words, we yearn for comfort. We need a powerful one who can overshadow our enemies, and overcome our greatest adversary, death. We take comfort in knowing that God came and dwelt among us and He will come again. Jesus said it was to our advantage for Him to go away because He would be sending another “Comforter” (King James version, but other versions call the Holy Spirit, the “Helper”). Isaiah 40:5 tells the most comforting news of all: “And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed.” We live with the hope of God’s will being fully revealed. We may not see it, but it is coming. Good news comforts us. Our comfort ultimately comes from God’s glory, not human achievement. This is not merely good news – this is the best news. Ever.

- Pastor Tom Harrison