The Way of Comfort
How do we comfort others?
Verse of the Day
‘Moses’ arms soon became so tired he could no longer hold them up. So Aaron and Hur found a stone for him to sit on. Then they stood on each side of Moses, holding up his hands. So his hands held steady until sunset.’
Today’s Devotional
I have had friends go through really difficult circumstances that I have no experience with. I wanted so badly to offer them comfort, but I had no relevant experience. What do we do in those situations?
This is a very different set of circumstances than someone who is struggling with something that I have personally gone through. But even then… Do I give advice or do I simply share my experience?
Having recently read through the book of Job, I saw a very glaring example of how NOT to offer comfort in Job’s friends. People don’t need a sermon in the middle of their pain and suffering. They don’t need a list of potential sins they have committed in order to prime the pump for their confession. They don’t need a list of things I think they are doing wrong. I am not the Holy Spirit. At the end of the book of Job, the friends are chastised by God for their efforts. But these friends started off with the right idea. When they first arrived, the Bible says, “Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and nights. No one said a word to Job, for they saw that his suffering was too great for words.” (Job 2:13)
Let’s add to that the context of today’s verse. In Exodus 17, the Israelites are doing battle with the Amalekites. Moses is up on a hill watching the battle. When he holds his staff above his head, the Israelites are winning. But when he lowered the staff, the Amalekites gained the advantage in the battle. Since Moses was human, he could only hold the staff over his head for so long. That’s when Aaron and Hur stepped in. “So Aaron and Hur found a stone for him to sit on. Then they stood on each side of Moses, holding up his hands. So his hands held steady until sunset.”
These two stories offer us some great wisdom in how to offer comfort to the people in our lives who are hurting.
Be Present.
Be Useful.
Aaron and Hur did not say to Moses, “Let us know if you need anything.” They saw what was going on and they stepped in. They were able to see the need because they were present. Then they took action to be useful.
I get wrapped up in my own life and forget sometimes that being present in your life makes me feel more alive. When there is an opportunity to be useful and I step in, I get to experience a moment of purpose. Those are the moments when “loving your neighbor” has true meaning.
Henri Nouwen describes the ministry of presence like this:
“More and more, the desire grows in me simply to walk around, greet people, enter their homes, sit on their doorsteps, play ball, throw water, and be known as someone who wants to live with them. It is a privilege to have the time to practice this simple ministry of presence. Still, it is not as simple as it seems. My own desire to be useful, to do something significant, or to be part of some impressive project is so strong that soon my time is taken up by meetings, conferences, study groups, and workshops that prevent me from walking the streets. It is difficult not to have plans, not to organize people around an urgent cause, and not to feel that you are working directly for social progress. But I wonder more and more if the first thing shouldn’t be to know people by name, to eat and drink with them, to listen to their stories and tell your own, and to let them know with words, handshakes, and hugs that you do not simply like them, but truly love them.”
May we be people who learn what it means to truly love our neighbors, to offer them our presence in our lives and invite them into ours. And as we are present in the lives of others, may God give us the eyes to see where we can offer comfort, whether through word or deed or presence. My prayer for each of you is for God’s comfort to be tangible to you today.
“Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal comfort and a wonderful hope, comfort you and strengthen you in every good thing you do and say.” (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17)
Journal Prompts
Answer only the questions that seem relevant to you today.
Write a prayer to God asking Him to make His presence known to you today.
Write to Him about where you need His comfort.
Ask God to show you who you need to be present with today.
Ask God to show you how to be useful to each person you encounter today.