Pastor’s Corner: “Security Blanket”
2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (NLT) – God Offers Comfort to All – 3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. 4 He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.
On Peanuts, Lucy’s brother Linus drags around a blanket. Without it, his life falls apart. With it, he finds security and sanity. It’s common for children to have “security blankets.” They come in different shapes: stuffed animals, actual blankets, pacifiers, a favorite cup, or a thumb. Children are not the only ones who need comfort. As adults what or who do we go to find comfort and security when our lives are falling apart?
The doctor walks in with a pained face and a positive cancer diagnosis. A policeman knocks on the door to deliver news no parent ever wants to hear. Someone who promised never to leave walks out. A rejection letter crushes future plans. We all need comfort sometimes. Pain, heartache, and tragedy are everywhere. There is no physical way to escape it. But we are not stuck, doomed to waiting for the next blow because we serve a God who is the Father of all compassion and comfort. Isaiah 40:1 (NLT) “Comfort, yes, comfort my people,” says your God.
Our God is with us when we experience pain, loss, regret, sadness, and all manner of pain. He is not only with us but promises to bring us the comfort we need when we face troubles. He is with us through all things. God is interested in what we are going through. He does not dismiss our current circumstances or minimize our daily stressors as insignificant. He cares about and is there for each and every up and down that we face.
It’s easy for many of us to think our heartbreak doesn’t count because others have gone through worse. While we should realize the ways we are blessed, that does not mean God doesn’t see your pain as minimal compared to others. Compassion and comfort from Jesus is available whenever we need it! God’s grace is not reserved for our hardest moments; it’s available to us on a day by day and even moment by moment basis!
People who fail to understand the true source of comfort try to escape their pain. They seek out pleasures, material wealth, or drugs and alcohol to soothe them. Only God can offer lasting relief from the crushing pressure of heartache. He even brings joy into periods of mourning. Believers don’t have to rely on outward remedies or distractions to ease their mind, because help is available from the ultimate Comforter living within us…Holy Spirit. In Greek, He is called paraklētos, which means He who stands at one’s side; He who comes to one’s aid.”
The beautiful thing is that God offers us his peace not just to carry us through our own circumstances but so we can also “comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.” In God’s economy, nothing is wasted! His power is multiplied through us. His grace overflows from our lives and spills into the lives of those around us.
There is no end to God’s compassion. His desire and ability to wrap His arms around us are not constrained by circumstances. Whether our hardships are the result of someone else’s actions, our own unwise decisions, or pure chance, God wants to be our comfort and strength. Psalm 46:1-2 (NIV) – 1 God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea!
In His Grace,
Pastor Hamilton