God's Comfort

Read Isaiah 66:7-13

Rejoice with Jerusalem, and be glad for her, all you who love her; rejoice with her in joy, all you who mourn over her - that you may nurse and be satisfied from her consoling breast; that you may drink deeply with delight from her glorious bosom.

For thus says the Lord: I will extend prosperity to her like a river, and the wealth of the nations like an overflowing stream; and you shall nurse and be carried on her arm, and dandled on her knees. As a mother comforts her child, so I will comfort you; you shall be comforted in Jerusalem. Isaiah 66:10-13 (NRSV)

Hadassah Treu is from Pazardzhik, Bulgaria. One dark, frosty morning her mother called and asked Hadassah to come help her and her father because she was experiencing dizziness and vomiting. When Hadassah heard her feeble voice, her stomach turned into a knot, her hands started sweating, and she felt her heartbeat in her throat. She had lost her husband the year before and had experienced multiple difficult life changes, so Hadassah was already feeling vulnerable and distressed. She thought, God my life is hard enough without having to handle one more crisis. Hadassah felt as if God had abandoned her.

When she came home after an exhausting day with her parents, Hadassah opened her Bible. God spoke to her through Isaiah 66:13. In this chapter, the Lord spoke to the Israelites, ensuring them that God had not abandoned them and offering them comfort and hope for the restoration of Jerusalem.

God longs to comfort us. In our most difficult moments, God whispers words of peace, love, comfort, and encouragement to our souls. When she was deeply distressed, God brought comfort to her heart, heard her prayers, and gave her strength to help her parents. Our good God desires our well-being and is ready to extend comfort and peace anytime.

Prayer: Dear Lord, we come to you asking for your comfort and peace. Comfort us as a mother comforts her child. Ease our pain and fill our hearts with encouragement, in Jesus' name. Amen.