Comfort, comfort My people, says your God. Isaiah 40:1 ESV.

Comfort, oh comfort My people, says your God. Isaiah 40:1 MSG.

Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. Acts 3:6-8.

I loved what Henri Nouwen wrote in You Are the Beloved for today: “We are called to give our lives to others, so you and I can bear fruit. And all brokenness, and all dying, and all suffering is there to allow you to enter into solidarity with the whole human family, and to give yourselves to others so that your life can bear fruit. God asks you not to have a successful life but to have a fruitful life.”

Last night in a Ladies Spiritual group and again this morning on Zoom with our Friday Retreat group, we talked about friendship and bearing one another’s burdens and joys. What struck me was the first verse given above…comfort, comfort my people…because when we come together in the presence of Creator God – Father…Son…Spirit…and talk about spiritual and physical needs, and especially when we seek God together, something remarkable happens. Pain is shared. Hope is given. Love grows. If you have never had a conversation with others who love God – about God, please try. Be willing to be open and vulnerable and don’t worry about whether you know Scripture or not. We willing to know God.

And our chapter, Proverbs 25, begins a collection of sayings of Solomon collected by King Hezekiah’s advisors. It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings. As the heavens are high and the earth is deep, so the hearts of kings are unsearchable…v. 2, 3. In that way we are like kings in that it’s hard to know our own hearts at times. Think of burdens we carry within. Imagine the burdens of kings, of pastors, of any in the position to help others. Remove the dross from the silver, and a silversmith can produce a vessel; remove wicked officials from the king’s presence, and his throne will be established through righteousness…v. 4, 5. Sometimes the dross is within us. Last night one in the group asked about when someone is angry with God is it okay to tell God you are angry. Yes! And if someone tells you they are angry with God about something, encourage them to tell God and wait for an answer from Him. He will answer. Has no one told you it’s okay and needed to tell God everything? If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you…v. 21-22. That is exactly what Jesus said in His sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5:44. Listen to that in the Message Translation: Matthew 5:44-47: “You’re familiar with the old written law, ‘Love your friend,’ and its unwritten companion, ‘Hate your enemy.” I’m challenging that. I’m telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the supple moves of prayer, for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves. This is what God does. He gives His best – the sun to warm and the rain to nourish – to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty. If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that. If you simply say hello to those who greet you, do you expect a medal? Any run-of-the-mill sinner does that.”

Humankind. As one of our ladies last night shared…Human Kind. Is that not what God has always wanted for us? Let God and others bring out the best in us. It’s not just our bodies that have pain receptors. Our soul pain receptors also alert us to what is not good. Comfort, oh comfort My people, says your God. In the end it is we, humankind, who are comforted. Give your pain to God. He will help you. Share your pain with others and let them help you. Pain shared is pain understood and eased. How we need that!