Holidays Can Be Tough

 Wow! The month of December has been busy, and Christmas is just a few days away! But for some it’s a month of pain. Some have lost loved ones due to death. Some have been through the pain of separation and divorce, or having a child go wayward. This time of year, often brings painful things to people. However, there is hope. God through his son Jesus wants to bring comfort to your life during this season.

     You may think I don’t understand because I’m just writing my blog. I have been through some personal battles in the past three years. What I share with you today I have been applying to my own life. So, once again let’s use an acronym to see how we can receive God’s comfort in our lives.

Cares – “casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:7

    We must cast all of our cares on the Lord. Despite what you may feel or what others have told you, God does care for you. But it requires faith and trust to believe that.

Omniscient – “When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then You knew my path. In the way in which I walk...” Psalms 142:3

     The word “omniscient” means, “all knowing.” God knows everything from the beginning to the end. He knows the paths our lives will travel. As I have often heard preachers say, “Nothing comes to our lives that doesn’t first go through the hand of God.” His grace and his all-knowing can be trusted to carry us through any situation.

Meditate - "This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” Joshua 1:8

     One of the best things we can do to receive the comfort of the Lord is to daily read the bible. Did you know that the book of Psalms is the most read book of the bible? Why? Because David shows that he is human, which we can all relate to. Many of his psalms start off with a trial but he always ends with giving praise to God for providing a way out of troubling situations. We can do the same. Things may look bleak, but if we hide God’s word in our heart, the praises will begin to flow from our lips before all is said and done.

Faith - “… if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.” Matthew 17:20

     Do you see that? Even if your faith is as small as a mustard seed it is enough to move mountains. So don’t accept the lie from the devil that your faith is too little to do receive strength and comfort from God. Put to use what you have, and the Lord will multiply it.

Omnipotent – Psalms 147:5 - “Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; his understanding is infinite.”

     Here we see another interesting word. Omnipotent means “all powerful.” God is more powerful than anything else in the world.  When you find yourself feeling weak and defeated ask God to show up in his power to remedy things as only he can do.

Rest –"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28

     What an offer! Jesus was telling us in this verse that if we will give him all of our burdens, he would give us his rest. That’s a great promise to hold on to when the going gets tough.

Trust – “5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6

     This may be a familiar scripture, but it is so true. If we lean on our understanding, we will mess things up every time. No matter how difficult this season is, try to make an effort to trust the Lord. Trust Him that he will help you with the pain, with the memories, with whatever it is that you need in your life right now.

     All of this takes me back another familiar scripture found in 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

“3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”

     Oh, my friend, how the Lord wants to comfort you! He wants to comfort you so that you have peace as you receive His comfort. But he also wants to comfort you so that someday you will be able to share that same comfort with someone who crosses your path and is need of healing from the scars of life.

     In closing, While the pain you’re experiencing is real I want to encourage you that it’s not the end. God wants you to move forward with your life. He wants to heal you of your pain so that you can be his instrument of comfort to someone else along the way in your journey. I am speaking this to myself as much as I am you!  Be encouraged, because of Jesus Christ, there is hope ahead!