Dear Readers and Listeners, Friends in Jesus Christ,
Our watchword for today is taken from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah, Chapter Forty verse One, “Comfort, comfort My people, says your God,” (Amplified Bible). The comfort of the Lord is a comfort that surpasses all human attempts of comforting those who are suffering and afflicted. It speaks of peace, and of forgiveness. It pronounces the good things that will occur in the future. Passages from this chapter from the Book of Isaiah, taken from the King James Translation, have been immortalized in the Messiah Oratorio composed by George Friedrich Handel. Reading the text evokes in the mind the melodies of “O you, who bring good tidings to Zion,” and the pastoral “And he shall feed his flock like a shepherd.” The comfort of the Lord that is prophesied in scripture infuses new strength and power. The gloom and sadness of the comfortless state are overcome, and the soul is given eagles’ wings to soar above the mountains of trouble up, towards God.
Jesus taught his disciples that when he has left the earth to return to his Father, he will send the Comforter to them, the Spirit of God. At the baptism of Jesus, when the heavenly dove descended on Jesus, after his ascending from the baptismal waters, the presence of God’s Spirit in and with Christ, was confirmed by the voice of God, saying from heaven: This is my beloved Son. The comfort of the Lord is like a cloud that envelopes and protects those hidden within the veil of the cloud. It rests on those who love the Lord and silently, as it manifests its unique presence, affirms the beloved children of the Lord. Those who wait on the Lord, and expect Him, shall experience the change of receiving renewed power of the Lord. They shall find the comforting consolation of God, their ever present help in trouble.
A little baby is immediately comforted when the mother is near and quietly falls to sleep, resting assured in the consoling known presence of the mother. The little anxious chicklets in the nest calm down immediately when the mother hen spreads her wings over them and comforts them with her chirpy assurances. Jesus called out to the city of Jerusalem, and said that he wanted to comfort her. He wanted protect her and spread his wings over her like a mother hen, but she did not want to come and rest under his wings. The natural reaction of a mother bird is to defend her young, she would stop at nothing to protect them and keep them from harms way. Nothing stopped Jesus to protect, heal, teach and save those who came to him. The love and consolation of Jesus have been given to those who came to him, but it is also extended and given to those who rejected him. The eagle mounts up in the sky and spreads her wings to catch the little eaglet who is learning to fly. Safely, on the pinions of the outstretched wings, the little eaglet falls and is comforted and consoled and taken back to the safety of the nest.
The comfort of hearing a welcoming voice, or seeing a smile of encouragement, fills one with renewed hope and strength. Jesus welcomed all, consoled and comforted all and gave new hope as he poured his healing balm over those who needed his peace and love. We read in the Gospel of Luke, Chapter Nine verse Eleven, “Jesus welcomed the crowd, and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who needed to be cured,” (Amplified Bible). Jesus is our ever present help in trouble, our Rock of Salvation. He sends us the Comforter to pray for us with unspeakable words and prayers and consoles us in our times of distress.
Father, we thank you that you are our Father, who consoles and comforts us. You come to us and say to us fear not, it is I. I will not leave you, nor will I forsake you, Amen.