I am really out of it today. I think the weekend heat was a little more than I was ready for. It sure takes a lot of water to replenish a body that was drained from dehydration. Now that I am ready for work and my mug is full of Door County German Chocolate Cake Coffee it is time to write.
My ministry within our church as an elder often puts me in a position to help offer comfort to others while they are going through some hurting situation. Each circumstance is different and it seems as if there are never two that are exactly the same.
When the phone rings and it is a call for comfort or help the first thing I do is begin to pray silently for wisdom. I have no answers for them until I go to God and humble myself to ask for anything I might need to minister to our flock. Our other elders and our Pastors are all men of prayer and none of us thinks we have the answers we need without praying.
Now like physicians who have remedy books and the ability to write prescriptions we all go to God's Word for advice and comfort. I keep a list of Scripture just for those who are hurting close to the night stand and as a document on my cell phone. I go to God's Word for advice and comfort for those in need. I know many of you are good friends to others and are often called upon to counsel and aid in comfort. I thought I would share a few verses for you to keep handy just for those occasions. I would highly recommend that you mark your Bible, and after you pray you can go to your Godly tool box for help.
Psalms 119:48-52 I will lift up my hands toward your commandments, which I love, and I will meditate on your statutes. Remember your word to your servant, in which you have made me hope. This is my comfort in my affliction, that your promise gives me life. The insolent utterly deride me, but I do not turn away from your law. When I think of your rules from of old, I take comfort, O LORD.
Psalms 56:8 You have kept count of my tossing; put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book?
1 Peter 5:6-7 (KJV) Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he cares for you.
Lamentations 3:22-23 (KJV) It is of the LORD’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.
Psalms 30:5 …Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.
Psalms 71:20-21 You who have made me see many troubles and calamities will revive me again; from the depths of the earth you will bring me up again. You will increase my greatness and comfort me again.
There are many, many more verses that we can rely on. Combine God's Word with prayer and God can do wonders through all of you. When you extend your hand and heart to the hurting you have made the first step in truly loving others and allowing God to use you. I was led to help equip you today. You never know, the person you might be comforting just might be you.
God bless,
Marty
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