Comfort
Monday December 15, 2014
Holiday seasons are often times of pain and difficulty for people. Suicide rates go up. Addiction problems resurface. Anger and violence sometimes reemerges. Although holiday times are meant to be celebrated in close and caring relationships, many of us struggle. We long for comfort but experience challenges and loneliness in the midst of the busyness of the holiday season.
We were never meant to build relationships on our own. God knew we’d fail without Him and we have proved Him right over and over again. We get hurt and disappointed because of our expectations of others. We ourselves harm and disappoint. God sent us Jesus to show us the way. Through Him we have hope that we can actually live in relationships of comfort and trust. That’s the amazing gift of Christmas.
Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for, that she has received from the LORD's hand double for all her sins. A voice of one calling: "In the desert prepare the way for the LORD, make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God. (Isaiah 40:1-3 NIV)
God came to earth to be with us, to communicate His love to us in a way we could understand. God’s unfailing love, His comfort, His patient communicating, His persistent reaching -- these are the characteristics of a loving relationship that will help us trust humans again. God has made promises to us that will never be broken. God has communicated His plans and promises over and over again and will keep on doing so until we get it. God is with us. We are not alone. We are not unloved. We are not living in isolation. In relationship with Jesus, we can dare to hope again. We can dare to trust. We can dare to celebrate.
©2014 Partners in Hope
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