Comfort Is A Promise!

Waves of grief tend to wash over me without notice triggered by a simple memory popping in my head. While I enjoy experiencing new things, grief is a journey that I never wanted to take. It's been a long journey with no end in sight that began a few years ago. Jesus stated in Matthew 5:4 that God blesses those who mourn, but grief definitely doesn't feel like a blessing. It's lonely and painful and isolating.

After a wonderful day, I found myself sitting on my couch this evening taking yet another tear-filled trip down memory lane thanks to Facebook Memories. The Bible says in Psalm 56:8 that God bottles up our tears. But, I think He keeps a 5-gallon bucket especially for me. A little bottle simply wouldn't do after all the tears of sorrow I've shed the past few years. As the waves of loss, regret, and guilt threatened to roll over me once more, I began to reflect on Jesus's words.

"Blessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted."

Mourning definitely doesn't feel like a blessing. Yet, I have experienced God's comfort in such a big way these past few years through it.

When I had questions that no pastor could answer to my satisfaction, God was there! When I faced down giants in faith then ran from them in doubt, God was there! When I was on fire for God one moment then crying out in despair the next, God was there! When I wasn't sure if my faith was strong enough to survive this season of doubt and grief, God was there! When I felt like my prayers were falling on deaf ears, God was there! God's Word and presence became more alive and more real to me these past few years as His love washed over me in my sorrow.

Matthew 5:4 is a promise! God promises to comfort us. He promises to be there through the pain, loneliness, fear, doubt, disappointments, and discouragements. It is a blessing because if we cling to Him during those times, we get to experience Him in a way we never would otherwise. It's not necessarily going to feel like a blessing to mourn, but it is a blessing when we mourn because we get to experience God's comfort in a supernatural way.

That's a relief to me because I tend to fall as often as I stand. My faith wavers and crumbles like leaves at times. I've come to look forward to those waves of grief because they draw me into God's arms of love.

"The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; He rescues those whose spirits are crushed." (Psalm 34:18)

Let it out. Mourn. Weep. Comfort is waiting. God's light will shine in the darkness. That is a promise you can count on!