GOD COMFORTS YOU

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GOD COMFORTS YOU

Day 133

May 13, 2024 • Isaiah 49:13

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May 13

GOD COMFORTS YOU

Isaiah 49:13

Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains: for the Lord hath comforted his people, and will have mercy upon his afflicted.

All of us need comfort once in a while. Maybe it’s an illness that sets us on life’s sidelines. It might be the pain of hurt or betrayal that causes us to want to withdraw into our shell and never come out. Maybe it’s the grief of loss that makes it feel like life is just not worth living anymore.

We search for comfort in all kinds of places—escape into the latest TV sitcom, food, the Internet. Maybe we have some caring friends who listen and try to understand, but we can only lean on them so much, for we know they have their own lives and responsibilities.

So where do we turn for comfort? Today’s verse tells us to “shout for joy” for “the Lord comforts his people and will have compassion on afflicted ones.” That’s you. And that promise is for you. The Lord will give the comfort you need. Turn to him and pour out your hurt in prayer. He is always there for you.

GOD’S PROMISE TO ME:

• I am there for you in your time of need.

• I will give you comfort.

• I will comfort you and have compassion on you.

MY PRAYER TO GOD:

I need your comfort today, Lord. The hurt goes deep. I need to know that there is purpose for this pain; I need to know that it will not be wasted. I need to feel the comfort that only you can give. Amen.

GOD’S DISCIPLINE LEADS TO HOLINESS

June 1, 2024 • Hebrews 12:10–11

June 1 GOD’S DISCIPLINE LEADS TO HOLINESS Hebrews 12:10-11 For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. Our fathers and mothers disciplined us, and now we discipline our own children. Often, however, our discipline is not perfect, especially when we offer discipline out of irritation or when we are exhausted. God’s discipline, however, is always right—and always good for us. Today’s promise is that God’s discipline means we will share in his holiness. We already share in God’s holiness because of our faith, but God is preparing us to be truly perfect in heaven. Of course, discipline is not enjoyable—in fact, it can be downright painful. Precisely because it is painful, we want to avoid it, and so we try to learn what God wants to avoid further pain. That’s what the writer of Hebrews meant when he said that afterward there would be a quiet harvest of right living. As we become holy, we are being prepared for heaven. GOD’S PROMISE TO ME: • When I discipline you, it is always right and good for you, for I am preparing you to share in my holiness. • My discipline will result in a quiet harvest of right living in your life. MY PRAYER TO GOD: God, you promise that your discipline is always right and good and that I will share in your holiness. Thank you for that promise. I pray that I will learn the lessons you have for me and that I will move on to maturity. Amen.

GOD DISCIPLINES YOU BECAUSE HE DELIGHTS IN YOU

May 31, 2024 • Proverbs 3:11–12

Proverbs 3:11-12 My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord ; neither be weary of his correction: For whom the Lord loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth. “This will hurt me more than it hurts you.” Have you heard those words? They’re usually spoken in regard to discipline. We give the advice in these verses to our precious children when we discipline them. We certainly train them never to ignore us, and we also hope that they will not be discouraged by our discipline. Loving discipline teaches our children what is right while showing them that we discipline them because we love them. So it is with God. Like a loving father he disciplines us because he wants us to mature and to act correctly and responsibly. He disciplines us because he delights in us. Holding on to this truth isn’t always easy, especially when we are in the middle of being disciplined by God. We typically get angry or discouraged. Yet discipline, like pruning, is necessary and beneficial. We need to pray that we will not be discouraged but, instead, see God’s discipline as evidence that he delights in us. GOD’S PROMISE TO ME: • I may discipline you at times, but only because I am a loving Father who corrects the child in whom I delight. MY PRAYER TO GOD: Lord, you say that you correct me because you love me and delight in me. I admit that I don’t always see your discipline this way. Help me to grasp the truth that you are disciplining me because you delight in me. Thank you for being a loving Father who cares enough to teach me what is right. Amen.

YOU CAN TRUST IN THE POWER OF PRAYER

May 30, 2024 • James 5:16

James 5:16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. Does prayer really make a difference? If God knows everything that’s going to happen, why pray? Can we really change God’s mind? We might be tempted to live as though everything happens by chance, and we must sit back and watch it all unfold. We have no control, so why try to do anything? We know that God knows everything, that all our days are in his book and the hairs of our head are numbered. But it’s important to remember that while we don’t know everything, our lives on this earth are a continuous quest of getting to know God better. He knows everything. So we talk to him, asking for guidance and help or protection. Does prayer change anything? Perhaps a better question is how does prayer change us? The Bible promises that our earnest prayers have great power and wonderful results. Prayer changes things—but most of all, it changes us. GOD’S PROMISE TO ME: • Your prayers can have great power and wonderful results. MY PRAYER TO GOD: Heavenly Father, you say that the earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power. I realize this doesn’t mean you answer every prayer with an unequivocal yes. I want to experience that power today. I trust that you hear my prayers and that you will answer. Amen.