Comfort
This short note has been written as a result of reading a post today from one who is lonely. Their words were filled with despair, and fearful of not being saved in the day of his coming. God willing this short message can strengthen and encourage you on your way to Kingdom Glory. Have you ever given thought to the voice of Jesus? How it is a voice of comfort, a great shepherd of the sheep who tends and cares for his flock. Jesus spoke these words to Peter, “Feed my lambs." When I consider these words and their softness, how pleasant will it be to hear such a gentle voice, with such encouragement, comfort and support?
We all need comfort...you are not alone.
We are in a world of great evil, and there are many distractions that can take us away from our Shepherd. What happens when we can no longer see our heavenly adoption, and no longer rejoice in being fellow-citizens with the Lord Jesus Christ? What happens when our vision of seeing Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and all the prophets and saints that will one day fill the world with light, and life, and love, and joy, and glory to God in the highest...is suddenly darkened by trials, sins and suffering?
During such times we can feel estrange from God and Jesus, when so much pain and suffering clouds our Kingdom vision, that walking in faith and not by sight, becomes so burdensome that you feel like giving up.
God knew we would suffer times of loneliness and times of great distress, so in His great goodness and wisdom He provided real encouragement within His Words, so that His children could read, imagine and behold a loving nurturing Father, who offers an emotional anchor to the Heavens. (Heb 6:19)
But sometimes even Gods words are not enough to lift us out of darkness into His glorious light.
What then?
If we feel like castaways in a great ocean...what must we do, or what must others do to rescue them from drowning? We all must become good listeners and teachers, training ourselves to accept the position of not belonging to this sinful world, even though we might feel sinful ourselves. Never forget those encouraging words in 1 John 2:1 My little children (feel the gentleness?), these things write I unto you, that you sin not. And “if” any man (or woman) sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.
When we are feeling alone and our minds are full of disappear, try to remember we have an advocate or consoler who is for you and not against you! You have a comforter who sits with God in the Heavens who is watching over your life, wanting to provide comfort at any given moment.
James tells us “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. James 1:17
To us on earth the sun appears to be related to shade. At night (depression) it appears the sun has gone, and no longer exists, but in fact, the sun shines always and continues to do so incessantly. The impression we get is one of the sun (Son) abandoning us is merely a result of our position to it. So the same can be said of our relationship with God and Jesus Christ. Trials and temptation can falsely cast a dark shadow over us, causing us to believe they (God and Jesus) are hidden from us. But we know don’t we, deep down, this is not true, as we know during the night time the sun still burns and produces great warmth to those on the other side of the planet.
We need comfort in times of loneliness because we feel God is not present, it is us who needs turn our face towards His constant bright light. Because in Him, unlike the earth which turns on its axis, there no "shadow of turning". So I encourage you to grab hold of His anchor and discover the Father of lights, and find that He does not change, He is the same yesterday, today and forever. Whether you are in the deepest depression and in the type of darkness which is felt. Gods warm light is a great comfort when we are cold. And while we change in our warmth towards Him, He knows that we are not consistent in our admiration of Him, so without suffering, there can be no forgiveness and salvation which we all long for and await. So when you are hurting it’s easy for us to think, He changes and He feels far away, we might even say “Why!!, O LORD, do you stand far away? Why!! do you hide yourself in times of trouble? Psa. 10:1, but in fact, God was no farther away than previously. It only appears that way to us, because pain and suffering has numbed our spiritaul senses from feeling.
So rather than shrinking into loneliness, reach out and if possible, "If you call on the Father" know He is no respecter of persons, and if we ask Him regardless of how desperate and hopeless your situation may appear...or how wretched you think you are in His sight, His hand is long enough to reach you and provide comfort.
Jesus tells you firmly with love that once we are in His hand; nothing can pluck us from it, absolutely nothing!
It is my prayer comfort will come shortly.
Even so come Lord Jesus
Alethos
Ps. 2 Corin 1:3-5
