Sunday, June 13, 2010

2 Corinthians 1-2: The God of Comfort

May has been a difficult month.
And I've struggled.

I've cried and shut down and grumbled a little more than is healthy. (Is there any healthy grumbling?)

I've questioned God. I have a lot of uncertainty in my future, and I wonder. . . Will God take care of the details?

So I've prayed. A lot.
Mostly questions.

But last Friday we went to Overflow at Newbreak Church in Santee, and I was more than ready to "turn my mourning into dancing" (Psalm 30:11), and worship God.

As I stood, feeling a little lost and alone, surrendering my fear of change and the unknown, with all my insecurities, I heard God whisper comfort in my ear:

You are not alone.
You are not the only one who is losing a job.
You are not the only one who has to get out there and find a new one.
You are not the only one who doesn't know what will happen next.
You are not the only one with a child who has wandered from Me.
You are not the only one who has to venture into new territory and wonders if I will
take care of the details.

You are not the only one.

And I looked around the room, and I know little pieces of stories. Disappointments. Lost jobs. Broken relationships. And I remembered. We are all together on the journey of life. And the journey of life is filled with uncertainty.

And I heard God say this:

Know my life.
Know my peace.
Know my joy.

Know me.

And I responded in worship.

2 Corinthians 1 tells us, "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, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God."

We need each other, and we need Jesus.
We share our sorrows. We share our comfort.
We share Jesus, and comfort overflows.

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