The God of All Comfort

"In the day of prosperity be happy, but in the day of adversity consider— God has made the one as well as the other" Ecclesiastes 7:14

The tragedy of the recent tornadoes is utterly devastating. It is truly unthinkable to imagine what the family members of victims and those who lost all their possessions are going through. My freshman year of college at Union University, an F-4 tornado ripped through the campus destroying 80% of our buildings. I can easily recall the terror and horror of the evening.  In the aftermath of the weeks that followed, I read this passage in Ecclesiastes 7:14 and it brought me such comfort to remember that God is in control. "God has made the one as well as the other." There is nothing that surprises the Lord and that He is not capable of bringing good from. God, in His Sovereignty, is able to "work all things together for the good of those who love Him and have been called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28). 

God is Creator and Sustainer of the world and absolutely Sovereign. However, He is also the God of ALL comfort and the Father of MERCIES. "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,  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." 2 Corinthians 1:3-4. 

May we commit to praying for the families struck by this horrible tragedy and may we proclaim the Good News of the Gospel to a broken and hurting world.

A Day of Remembrance

"'Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful'" (John 14:27, New American Standard Bible).

As you probably heard, years ago a tragedy happened in downtown New York City on this day. Later, in the mix of saddening and shocking reports, my favorite stories were ones about heroes of the day. One story I remember was actually recorded in a running book called Going Long that is edited by Runner's World (you can find the book here). In that story, a seasoned long distance runner worked in the Twin Towers. His story stood out to me, because he took time to lead his office out of danger. He seemed gifted to be calm and to keep going under pressure, and he used those skills to help others around him during a time of crisis.

God sent Jesus to die for the world and our sins against Him and others. When we embrace this great grace that He offers, He sends the Holy Spirit to help guide believers through whatever happens in this life on earth. Through Christ's sacrifice for us, we have a great hero in Him.  In tough times, God can give us peace and hope as we trust in Him.

Lord, we know Your Holy Spirit is the divine Comforter. Please bring healing for the families of those who passed away that day. We pray others come to know You, because we have seen how You can transform lives for the better. Thank You for Your grace in sending Jesus to sacrifice in our place. Let Your Holy Spirit renew our hearts with a love for You and who You are. Help us share with others how You offer peace and hope. Please be with our country during this time of reflection. Amen.

suggested reading:  John 14
photo from www.bumperstickermagnet.com