|
Are you going through a time of
mourning---grief, loss? Maybe you
have lost a relative, a loved
one---even a parent or child.
Nothing is worse than that. Or maybe
your grief is because you have just
been diagnosed with an illness for
which there is no cure. In that
case, you will be mourning for the
life that could have been.
The beauty of serving God is that
when we are confused, we can always
trust in the nature of God. He is
fair and He is just. Think of King
David: He was a man who made a lot
of mistakes. God loved Him and even
called him a man after his own
heart. So don't think that you have
to be perfect to avail yourself of
God's Love and comfort.
I don't know what kind of pain or
loss you are going through, but I do
know this: God cares intensely about
how you feel and what you do with
the rest of your life. His desire
for each of you is that you fulfill
your destiny.
I know that there will be bad days
ahead, but God is always there for
you, to comfort and bear the burden
with you.
What God wants to provide for you is
His Peace. In fact, He said
“Blessed are they who mourn, for
they shall be comforted".
The Amplified Bible says it this
way:
Matthew 5:4 Blessed and
enviably happy [with a
[happiness
produced by the experience of God's
favor and especially conditioned by
the revelation of His matchless
grace] are those who mourn, for they
shall be comforted!
Two of the names of God are
Adonai Shalom, and El Shaddai.
Adonai Shalom means “God my
Peace”. El Shaddai literally
means “the Breasted One” because God
wants us to know that He, our
Heavenly Father, will clasp us to
His bosom and comfort us as a mother
does her precious child.
Your friends and family want to
help---and they will. Your Bishop
and you pastors want to help---and
we will. But we don’t have
all the answers. God does.
You should be aware that in the days
to come, God is going to speak to
each one of you. It may be through a
friend or a member of your family.
It may be through a song or a Word
preached or taught. It may be
through a dream God gives you,
followed by something that is spoken
to you later that ties the two
together. God sends 'angels' (which
means messengers). They may be
Heavenly angels or human angels. One
thing that all these will have in
common is that they will all bring
comfort---not guilt or
condemnation---or fear.
And of course, the best way to find
comfort is in the House of God.
When we are in corporate worship
with our sister and brothers, the
Holy Spirit flows down abundantly
and ministers to each person where
their need is.
When the grief hits (and it will)
don’t try to stifle it. You need
to grieve. But, then, turn it over
to God and then worship Him---even
if you don’t feel like doing it. You
will find that your spirits will be
lifted and the peace will come. The
Peace of God is not like any other
kind of Peace. It will permeate
every part of you and comfort you as
you mourn.
God loves you and, He not only
knows your pain, but He feels
it.
|
