Do You Need Comfort?
Is there anything in you that needs to be comforted?
Verse of the Day
‘My eyes are straining to see your promises come true. When will you comfort me?’
Today’s Devotional
According to the dictionary, there are two types of comfort: physical and emotional. With the first, we are trying to achieve being physically comfortable. This can be achieved in any number of ways: the right pillow, the chair that suits your back, the shoes that feel the best on your feet, the right amount of clothing given the temperature, or the removal of a thorn. With emotional comfort, we are trying “to soothe, console, or reassure; bring cheer to” ourselves or others. Does this ring true for you? Do the definitions fit?
For me, the simpler way to look at my desire for comfort is: “I want this to feel better”.
Today’s verse is a reminder that often comfort from God does not come as quickly as we would like. The psalmist is questioning God, wondering when the delay will end. Have you ever felt like God was delaying? Those places, where we have been asking God for something and we have yet to see Him move, are some of the most tender places in our spirits. Sometimes they are so tender that we can’t really even discuss them with others.
Today, I want to encourage us all that God is here. In the middle of your pain. In the midst of your fear. He hears your questions. He sees your doubts. He knows all of the places where your heart needs His comfort. And none of that makes Him disappointed in you. Not even a little, tiny bit.
We are going to spend some time looking at what the Bible has to teach us about comfort. For now, let’s acknowledge our need before God. Even as we think about the beginning of a new year, often the things we want to change (by way of New Year’s Resolutions) are places where we are unhappy with the current state of affairs in our lives.
What if, instead of looking at the world or our own willpower to fix any of those things, we asked God what He has to say?
If we have been waiting a long time for God to answer, Charles Spurgeon has some ideas for us to look at to see if we might be the cause of the delay in receiving God’s comfort. He says:
- Comfort will come when we put away unbelief.
- Comfort will come when we are finished complaining.
- Comfort will come when we put away the sin that we tolerate.
- Comfort will come when we fulfill the duties we have neglected.
Lastly, God’s comfort may not come in the way we would choose. It may not mean a resolution of the problem that is causing the pain. One commentary writes: “When we reach out to God in obedient faith, His comfort is always available. The pain may continue, but God’s comfort is there.”
Today my challenge to all of us is to pick up a pen and write your heart out to God. Answer one (or more) of the questions below or just pour out your prayer on paper. That’s what each Psalm is, a written prayer, many of which were turned into songs. As your pen declares your need for God’s comfort, my prayer is that you know His love for you in a new and tangible way.
Journal Prompts
Answer only the questions that seem relevant to you today.
In what ways do you need comfort? What do you want to feel better?
Ask God what He has to say to you about your needs. (Write down anything you think He is telling you.)
How honest can you be with God about the really tender spots in your heart? Write out your prayer to Him, asking Him for comfort.
What unbelief do you need to confess to God?
What do you need to stop complaining about?
What sin do you need God’s help to remove from your life?
What duties have you overlooked or neglected?
Ask yourself: Is God’s presence and comfort enough for me?