Has your world suddenly changed?
By Sheryl Boldt
Are you experiencing a crisis? Do you feel as if your life will never be the same?
If we haven’t personally lost a job or are financially underwater, we likely know someone who is. Others are affected by the fentanyl and oxycodone crisis, a healthcare emergency, the death of a loved one, a divorce or some other family heartache.
And our hearts absolutely break for those of you who recently lost your homes or loved ones to Hurricane Helene or Kirk. The devastation you’re waking up to every morning is more than most of us can even begin to imagine.
What do we do when our world suddenly changes or progresses in a dismal direction?
If I don’t find my strength and comfort from God, I’m unable to endure trauma, much less able to comfort anyone else who’s going through their own difficult time.
Please read 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (ESV) and take its message to heart: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”
Do we know God as a compassionate, comforting and encouraging Father?
When we feel heartbroken, devastated, overwhelmed or discouraged, let’s go to our heavenly Father as often as we need to. Ask Him to give us faith to trust His love for us as we tell Him about our pain, anger and fear. Allow the God of all comfort to console and reassure us as only He can.
Then, ask Him to help us share that same compassion with others who are suffering unbearable pain too.
Whether our trial causes only temporary, albeit unwanted, adjustments, or if life suddenly changes in drastic, more permanent ways, I hope we’ll experience God’s presence as we meditate on 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 and allow God’s Holy Spirit to change how we respond to our trials.
Life can be scary, especially when it takes a devastating turn. Thankfully, God will never change. He’ll always be the Father of mercies …
… and the God of all comfort.
Sheryl H. Boldt writes fiction and nonfiction for children and adults. Her devotions appear in 34+ newspapers. She is also the author of the blog www.TodayCanBeDifferent.net. You can connect with her at [email protected].