"God of all comfort"

This month marks a full three years now since my world was changed forever.   Danny Gokey paints a vivid word picture when he sings these words in his song “Tell Your Heart to Beat Again”: “You’re shattered like you’ve never been before.  The life you knew in a thousand pieces on the floor; and words fall short in times like these, when this world brings you to your knees.  You think you’re never going to get back to the you that used to be.”

I’ve known sorrow, pain, and anguish these three years like I never knew before.  But I’ve learned a lot of lessons along the way as well.  One thing I’ve learned is that God comforts.  I’ve tipped my hand on this subject by titling the blog “God of all comfort.”  This is a phrase from 2 Corinthians 1:3: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and God of all comfort.”  In Isaiah 51, God says, “I, even I, am He who comforts you.”

An article from Got questions discussing how a Christian can find comfort after the death of a parent, states, “The God of the Bible delights in comforting the afflicted and healing the brokenhearted (Jeremiah 17:14; 2 Corinthians 1:3-4; 7:6).  He is a “father to the fatherless” (Psalm 68:5).  When we are grieved by the loss of our loved ones, God is quick to offer us His peace.  In the midst of our mourning, we can know the presence of God with us; even in our sorrow, we can draw near to Him in worship and prayer.”  The citation of 2 Corinthians 7:6 in this article was a good reminder to me.  It reads, “Nevertheless, God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus” (italics mine for emphasis).  It is true.

https://www.gotquestions.org/death-of-a-parent.html

Kevin

Words of comfort in the midst of sorrow

For many years now, the Bauer family has been reading a devotional called Our Daily Bread.  Yesterday’s content was so impressive, timely, and relevant that I’ve decided to share it today.  Once again, all credit goes directly to the author of that particular devotional – Dave Branon – and Our Daily Bread Ministries.  One could probably even find the content I’m citing today on their website at ourdailybread.org.  With that introduction, here is Dave Branon and his devotional entitled “Hope Anyway.”

“Among the hundreds of articles I’ve written for Our Daily Bread since 1988, a few stick in my mind.  One such article is from the mid-1990 when I told of a time our three girls were away at camp or on mission trips, so six-year-old Steve and I had some guy time.  As we were enjoying an excursion to the airport, Steve turned to me and said, “It’s not as much fun without Melissa,” his eight-year-old sister and sidekick.

Neither of us knew then how poignant those words would turn out to be.  Life indeed has not been “as much fun” for the years since Mell died in a car accident as a teenager.  The passage of time may dull the ache, but nothing takes the pain away completely.  Time cannot heal that wound.  But here’s something that can help: listening to, meditating on, and savoring the solace promised by the God of all comfort.

Listen: “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail” (Lamentations 3:22).

Meditate: “In the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling” (Psalm 27:5).

Savor: “My comfort in my suffering is this: Your promise preserves my life” (119:50).

Life can never be the same again when someone we love is gone.  But God’s promises bring hope and comfort.”

I can only conclude with an enthusiastic “amen”!

Kevin

"You, O Lord, are the lifter of my head"

In the last sermon he preached before he went home to be with the Lord, Dr. Rick Ferguson told an anecdote about an elderly lady who was driving her car.  When it began to conk out on her, she managed to coast off to the side of the road.  Soon a Good Samaritan gentleman stopped to help her.  As he was toying with the car trying to figure out what was wrong with it, he noticed that the gas gauge was all to the “E”.  “Well, ma’am,” he began.  “I think the problem might be that your car ran out of gas.”  The lady replied, “Well, do you think it will hurt it to drive it home that way?”  Then Pastor Rick asked this question: “Have you ever felt like you’ve run out of gas, but you had to keep going anyway?”
 

I relate to that question, more than ever before, and I can certainly answer with a resounding yes.  I often feel this way.  What is the reason for this?  Many readers will know the answer, but I’m going to state it again anyway: it is because three years ago, my dad unexpectedly entered his Heavenly reward.  Dad shouldered many responsibilities and burdens that I took for granted, but now, I feel the heavy weight of them.

I’ve been ministered to by many great Christian songs these three years, but to give just one today, I’ve been reflecting on the song by Colton Dixon simply called “You are”.  Check out these lyrics: “When I can’t find the words to say how much it hurts, You are the healing in my heart; when all I can see are broken memories, You are the light that’s in the dark.”  I miss my dad every day, but there are those raw, emotional, visceral times when I truly can’t “find the words to say how much it hurts” to be without him. 

The song goes on to say, “And when my circumstances leave me with empty hands, You are the provider of my needs.  When all my dirtiness has left me helpless, You are the rain that washes me” 
(for the full lyrics, and more information on the song, check out https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/coltondixon/youare.html).  

God is the One that has been good, faithful, kind, and generous to me these three years.  Psalm 3:3 says, “But You, O Lord, are a shield about me; my glory, and the lifter of my head” (ESV).  He is the “lifter of my head” because I know my dad is experiencing the wonders of Heaven, and one day, I will see him again.  What a day that will be!

Kevin

Celebrating Independence Day

If you’ve spent any time on this blog, you know that I enjoy sharing the origins of holidays.  Today is the 4th of July, or Independence Day.  This is the holiday that celebrates America’s independence from Great Britain.  This came, in large part, because of a document that details America’s ideals – the Declaration of Independence.

 

One helpful resource states, “Many times casual students of history tend to bypass the Declaration of Independence declaring that the document was written as a response to the taxation without representation that King George was imposing on the American people.  While this is in part true, this is far from the whole story.  The Declaration of Independence came about after a long period of suffering and even bloodshed on the part of the new American colonies.  The events leading up to the Declaration of Independence can constitute a whole study in and of themselves.  The document was carefully crafted to include all the reasons that separation was being demanded by the young country against the most powerful force in the world (on land or sea) Great Britain.

“The timeline of the Declaration took place over several weeks.  The Declaration was the result of several meetings and several different drafts: not a single copy as history would have us to believe.”  The article goes on to cite that from June 12-27, 1776 “Thomas Jefferson, at the request of the committee [appointed to compose the document] drafts a declaration [of independence].”  It also states that from July 1 to July 4, “Congress debates and revises the Declaration of Independence.”  (Source: https://www.surfnetkids.com/independenceday/265/what-any-citizen-should-know-about-the-declaration-of-independence/ )

Something that caught my attention was the high price for signing the document.  “There were 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence…In the time following the signing of the Declaration of Independence we see that the British threats were serious, as five signers were captured by the British as traitors, and tortured before they died…Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned, losing all of their earthly possessions.  Two lost their sons serving in the Revolutionary Army; another had two sons captured.  Nine of the fifty six fought and died from wounds or hardships of the Revolutionary War.”  (Source: https://www.surfnetkids.com/independenceday/258/who-signed-the-declaration-of-independence/ )

The just cited article concludes with this: “These men had everything to lose and risked it all to declare that citizens of America would no longer be forced to subject to the whims of unfair British rule.  Because they did, we live in a nation with liberty and justice; a nation that is united and seeks to foster general welfare and justice for all of us who have the privilege of being Americans.”

Kevin