Daily devotional, 18 June 2024 Seeking comfort
"Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."
Isaiah 41:10
Life challenges and difficulties drive us humans to seek comfort. Some seek comfort in food, some in friends or family, some in solitude, while others escape through travelling, relaxation, gym time, and things that could keep them busy. Others scroll their social media feed endlessly, and others do tv marathons until dawn. While others seek comfort by numbing themselves through bad relationships, alcohol, or drug dependence.
Whatever way we choose to comfort ourselves, we will realize that the comfort we get is temporary. It will soon fade and reality will again set in. Vacations will end, tummies will be full, alcohol and drug high will wear off, friends and family will have to tend to their own lives, and we have to go back again to our stressful lives to continue living.
As followers of Jesus, we need not live this way. Available to us is the comfort and peace that will transcend inevitable challenging circumstances in our lives.
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
Philippians 4:6-7
To prepare His disciples for His eventual death, Jesus assured them that He knows how it feels to suffer and that He will give them His peace. The Gospel of John Chapter 16 reads:
"I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
John 16:33
So practically speaking, how do we seek peace and comfort from God? How do we receive the peace that Jesus promised? Well, once we have surrendered our lives to Jesus, our priorities will have changed. Since He is our number one, we eliminate life pursuits that once enslaved us and kept us from abiding in Him.
When we know that we are trying our best to be obedient to the Lord, then we at least could have the peace of mind that we are not displeasing God, and we are not doing bad things to others.
"Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them."
John 14:21
But what if we have surrendered our life to God and we are closely following Him, and we suddenly find ourselves in a really sad and tight situation? When we are too helpless for comfort? When our tears uncontrollably stream and we cannot speak because our hearts ache so much and we can no longer speak between sobs?
Recalling God’s promises and letting it comfort us will help us overcome our fears, anxieties, and grief. Calling to mind our sinfulness and how He still chose to forgive us and make us new can keep us grounded in His love. Below are some of the other ways we can seek comfort from Jesus Christ:
1. Seek Him in prayers. For Catholics, praying before the Blessed Sacrament can bring immense relief from emotional turmoil. It is like entering God’s home and being in His presence. For non-catholic Christians, earnest prayer in solitude is one of the best ways to feel peace in the presence of God.
When we come to His feet in prayer, in repentance, in thanksgiving, we get to take hold of His promise to never abandon us especially in times of trouble. Let us heed His invitation to us to come to Him.
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30
2. Read the scriptures, and hold on to His promises. God’s words are enduring and perfect, and His promises to us will stand the test of time. Read His words and receive His assurance of love, mercy, and protection. If it is your first time to read, then you can use a devotional to guide you on scripture reading, or you can choose a book in the Bible to start reading and reflect on. Alternatively, you can start by reading the Book of Psalms.
"For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope."
Romans 15:4
3. Worship God. We can worship God anywhere and anytime. One of the most heart-warming ways though is worshipping Him with other fellow believers. Sing the praise songs wholeheartedly, and listen intently to the preaching.
"Sing to the LORD, all the earth; proclaim His salvation day after day. Declare His glory among the nations, His marvelous deeds among all peoples. For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; He is to be feared above all gods."
1 Chronicles 16:23-25
4. Listen to praise music. Singing to the Lord is one of the oldest ways to worship Him. Why not create a playlist of your favorite praise and worship songs and sing them loudly, with feelings?
"Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts."
Colossians 3:16
5. Count your blessings and feel God’s presence in the smallest things. Write a letter to Jesus or make a journal entry focusing on gratitude. When we write down things we tend to focus on it more. Hopefully, calling to mind God’s past blessings in life will help you realize that God loves you, and He has always been there for you. And that His past help is a promise of your future deliverance.
"Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever."
Chronicles 16:34
6. Do something good for others. When we get our attention away from ourselves, and start focusing on serving other people, we tend to forget our miseries. We will feel blessed that we can make other people happy, and we will feel good about ourselves because we get to follow God’s commands to love and serve others.
Hyperfocusing on our own issues will just get our mind in an endless loop of sadness, grief, and regrets. Our lives are not solely for our enjoyment, and so we should live for others too. We can help those who are suffering from the same fate as us. We can help those who need the same comfort we long for. As they say, “Those who bring sunshine into the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves.”
"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
When God is our source of comfort, we will experience the peace that cradles our vulnerable and hurting soul. It is the kind of peace that will not leave us long after our problems have been resolved. It is the peace that we can draw strength from since it comes from the sacred and most merciful heart of our Savior and Messiah, Jesus Christ.
Thank you for reading through our devotional today. I invite you to ponder on John 14:15-21 and Psalm 121 to dig deeper on today’s topic.
Reflection Question: Where do you seek comfort in times of distress?
Conversation with the Lord: Heavenly Father thank you for being my source of comfort and strength. Thank you for helping me endure the challenges I face, and provide relief and refreshment in my times of distress. Thank you for taking me under your wings. Amen.
