Comfort Ye

One of our society’s newest clichés is, “that which doesn’t kill us makes us stronger.”  I don’t believe this. We have only to ask… 

• the survivor of a concentration camp
• the parent who has made funeral arrangements for a child
• the battered and abused child / woman / person
• the burn victim with horrible disfigurement
• the veteran who has returned home, yet suffers with post traumatic stress disorder
• the homeless person
• the survivor of a natural disaster
• the stay-at-home mother whose husband has walked out on her and their small children
• the husband who returns from work to find his wife has walked out on him and their children
• the person who has suffered atrocities due to conflict and war
• the family members of an addict 

Life is painful. We may survive. In some cases we may even thrive. But often there is brokenness left in the wake of personal disaster.  Today I  find comfort in the Psalms. 

Psalm 34:18
Common English Bible

18 The LORD is close
to the brokenhearted;
he saves those whose spirits
 are crushed.

Psalm 51:17
Common English Bible 

17 A broken spirit is my sacrifice, God.
You won’t despise a heart, God,
that is broken and crushed.

Psalm 147:3
Common English Bible 

3 God heals the brokenhearted
and bandages their wounds

Tamara

Today's Devotional Scripture

TODAY’S VERSE
“May the Lord lead your hearts into a full understanding and expression of the love of God and the patient endurance that comes from Christ.”
II Thessalonians 3:5

TODAY’S THOUGHT

It will take a life time to even begin to mature in Christ. Although our salvation is immediate, maturing in Christ is a life time process. But we don’t see it that way. We want instant spirituality and here’s the real kick, we want it without any spiritual discipline of prayer, meditation and scripture reading. Nor do we want to be busy with ministry. Instead we have our life to lead, with all its important tasks and duties. Is it a wonder that we don’t know what Jesus is talking about when He says that He has come to give us an abundant life? This is why Paul prays that the Lord would lead our heart in two different ways. First Paul prays that the Lord would lead you into a full understanding of who God is, and second, a full expression of love toward God that results in patience endurance. What a gift and it’s ours for the asking. Might our prayer be today, “Lord lead my heart.”

TODAY’S PRAYER

Father, please lead my heart into a full understanding and expression of your love. Help me today, to be purposeful in knowing you and living for you in all I do and say. In Jesus Name ~Amen!