Be Comforted

Pastor Carol Grace ♦ December 21, 2024 ♦ Leave a comment

 

Psalm 86 

6Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer; and listen to the cry of my supplications.

7In the day of my trouble I will call on You, for You will answer me.

8There is none like unto You among the gods, O Lord, neither are their works like unto Yours.

9All nations whom You have made shall come and fall down before You, O Lord; and they shall glorify Your name.

10For You are great and work wonders! You alone are God.

Isaiah 40:4

Every valley shall be lifted and filled up, and every mountain and hill shall be made low; and the crooked and uneven shall be made straight and level, and the rough places a plain.

5And the glory (majesty and splendor) of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken it.

Isaiah 40: 28-31

(NIV) 28 Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary,

and his understanding no one can fathom.

29 He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.

30 Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; 31 but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

 

Today, on December 21, I recall the “Longest Night” services I have held through the years. Designed to offer hope to those who have suffered loss and are grieving during the Christmas season, these services provide a time of reflection and meditation, a safe space where those in pain can slow down amid the rush of holiday preparations and just breathe.

 

Anyone experiencing loss can benefit from a few scriptures of hope. When someone asks why something so terrible happens, there are no easy answers. All I know for sure is that God is a loving God.  How can I say that when there is so much hurt in the world?  Because when you “read the red,” the very words of Jesus, you see both the nature and the intent of God.  God is our father, and we are His children.  There is nothing else we need to know.

 

Have faith, you who are hurting and in despair.  God is ready to pour out His grace upon you like cool, refreshing waters—just ask.  Will the hurt go away because you have asked for grace?  No, but over time it will lessen.  Lean on God, on the Scriptures, spend time in prayer, and above all allow your families and friends to give you the support you need and the support they so want to give. 

 

May those in pain find peace.

 

In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit Amen.