It has been a while since my last blog. My work picked up and I had to step back from a few things. I have missed blogging. I had to start back today. Its been a tough and trying time for myself and some of my friends. Life has been hitting us from all angles, (But God)..... God has brought me through some tough times in life. My life right now is in rebuild. He's preparing me for what He is preparing me for. What I have learned is that when we are going through tough times we have to realize who God is. So who is God to you? Is He your source? Friends hold on to God's unchanging hand. His power, His might, His strength........ God is a comforter. He knows exactly what you need. Trust in Him, Surrender and give it all to Him. At church we are going through a series on the Holy Spirit the forgotten God. This falls right in line with what God is speaking into our lives. Open your ears and heart. Don't miss what He is saying. Draw nigh, and seek God while He can be found. In your darkest hour the Lord will show-up. God has a lot to say about comforting. Us comforting one another, but ultimately He is the Comforter....
2Corinthians 1:3-7
3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 5 For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ. 6 But if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation ; or if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which is effective in the patient enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer ; 7 and our hope for you is firmly grounded, knowing that as you are sharers of our sufferings, so also you are sharers of our comfort.
Look up "comfort" in dictionary.com or another reference, and you will read a definition like this: "Something that promotes a state of ease or provides freedom from pain and anxiety." But God's Word has a different solution when consolation is needed: the indwelling Holy Spirit. In Greek, He is called parakletos, which means "he who stands at one's side; he who comes to one's aid." Believers don't have to seek outward remedies or distractions to ease their mind, because help is available within.
Even before the Spirit was sent to indwell believers (John 14:26; Eph. 3:16), Scripture identified God as the one who comforts His people (Isaiah 40:1; 49:13). The Lord personally provides consolation and reassurance because no one knows our hurts the way He does.
I like this anonymous quotation: "When we have gone into the furnace of affliction, His hand is on the thermostat and His eye is on the clock." God lets us pass through hardship to make us stronger believers, wiser servants, and more humble people. But He stays right by our side through the entire experience, sustaining us and limiting the intensity and duration of our distress. The Holy Spirit's reassuring whisper to our heart gives more comfort than the solace of family or the encouragement of friends.
People who fail to understand the true source of comfort try to escape their pain. They seek out pleasures, material wealth, or drugs and alcohol to soothe their heart. Only God can offer lasting relief from the crushing pressure of heartache. He even brings joy into periods of mourning.
2Corinthians 1:3-7
3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 5 For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ. 6 But if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation ; or if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which is effective in the patient enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer ; 7 and our hope for you is firmly grounded, knowing that as you are sharers of our sufferings, so also you are sharers of our comfort.
Look up "comfort" in dictionary.com or another reference, and you will read a definition like this: "Something that promotes a state of ease or provides freedom from pain and anxiety." But God's Word has a different solution when consolation is needed: the indwelling Holy Spirit. In Greek, He is called parakletos, which means "he who stands at one's side; he who comes to one's aid." Believers don't have to seek outward remedies or distractions to ease their mind, because help is available within.
Even before the Spirit was sent to indwell believers (John 14:26; Eph. 3:16), Scripture identified God as the one who comforts His people (Isaiah 40:1; 49:13). The Lord personally provides consolation and reassurance because no one knows our hurts the way He does.
I like this anonymous quotation: "When we have gone into the furnace of affliction, His hand is on the thermostat and His eye is on the clock." God lets us pass through hardship to make us stronger believers, wiser servants, and more humble people. But He stays right by our side through the entire experience, sustaining us and limiting the intensity and duration of our distress. The Holy Spirit's reassuring whisper to our heart gives more comfort than the solace of family or the encouragement of friends.
People who fail to understand the true source of comfort try to escape their pain. They seek out pleasures, material wealth, or drugs and alcohol to soothe their heart. Only God can offer lasting relief from the crushing pressure of heartache. He even brings joy into periods of mourning.
|
How did you know this is what I needed today. I leave church on Sunday, which for me sadly become a refuge from everyday life, and as you open the door and light rushes into your face and feel the sun hit your face the pressure from the week to come sets in. It's honestly a terrible feeling. I came to work this morning feeling so heavy on the inside. Thank you so much. The Lord has spoke to me today through you. Thank you. I'm adding my name to post, I've been anonymous most times I comment on blogs. But I'm not ashamed of loving the Jesus. --- Elizabeth
Elizabeth, God loves you so much.