“My comfort in my suffering is this: Your promise preserves my life.” Psalm 119:50
Comfort
My grandsons each have what they call “Mommy Blankies”. Their blankets are the first thing looked for when they wake up in the morning, clasped tightly when they’re heartbroken, and the last thing they hold on to as they fall asleep each night. Just like they find comfort in their mommy, having their blankets close at hand, comforts them too.
I don’t know about you, but there are times I need a Mommy Blanket. Instead, when I long for soothing I often find myself reaching for food, seeking “things” to add to my Amazon cart, or dropping in on my favorite characters as I binge watch Hallmark movies. None of which really provide the long-lasting reassurance I’m searching for.
Think for a moment about these familiar stories in the Bible:
There was a woman with a bleeding problem. She’d given up hope until she heard about Jesus. What did she do? Made her way through the crowd so she could get close to Him, then she reached out touching the hem of his robe and she was healed.
Remember the rich man who sought out Jesus to ask Him what he’d need to do to get eternal life? Jesus answered telling the man to give away all his “things” and to follow Him.
Then there were the four friends of a paralyzed man. They were desperate to get him close to Jesus but couldn’t because of the crowd. They didn’t let that stop. They made a hole in the roof above Jesus and dropped their friend right down in front of Him.
We know that in this world we’ll have troubles just as the people in the Bible did. Maybe you, like me, have been experiencing them now. But, the woman in the crowd, Jesus’ answer to the rich man, the four friends, and watching my grandsons with their blankets have reminded me of what I really need, what we all need, which is to draw close to Jesus and let Him cover us in His solace.
Some day the boys will outgrow their “security blankets.” As we grow in faith, we’ll also stop relying on whatever temporary relief we’ve been setting our sights on and instead, begin looking to Jesus when we open our eyes each morning, clinging to Him when our hearts are breaking, and end each day wrapped securely in the true, eternal comfort of our Father’s presence.
“Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.” James 4:8a (ESV)
