Are You Receiving God's Comfort, Strength and Perspective?

May 21, 2023

Are You Receiving God's Comfort, Strength, and Perspective?

Are You Receiving God’s Comfort, Strength, and Perspective?

By Brooke Holt

“O God, the King of glory, you have exalted your only Son Jesus Christ with great triumph to your kingdom in heaven: Do not leave us comfortless, but send us your Holy Spirit to strengthen us, and exalt us to that place where our Savior Christ has gone before; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.” The Collect for the Seventh Sunday of Easter, Book of Common Prayer

What things bring you comfort in difficult times? I have written about how much the St. John’s River ministers to me. I find something so calming and yet powerful about looking over this vast river. It is glorious to behold! That glory brings much needed calm and assurance to my soul as it calls me to look beyond myself to the one who created this amazing river.

Whatever comfort you find in this world, the Lord would have you to remember he is the source of those things, and he longs to bring ultimate comfort through the Holy Spirit. Before his crucifixion and then again before the ascension, Jesus reminds his disciples that he will remain with them in the Holy Spirit. He will never leave them but will dwell in them. Jesus knew these disciples and the ones to follow them would face tremendous suffering and persecution in the days to come. He sought to prepare them for those difficult times. They would feel alone and afraid, but he would be with them through the Holy Spirit.

Today's Collect prayer recalls that Jesus suffered in this world, but suffering did and does not have the final word. He triumphed over sin, death, and all the forces of evil and is now exalted in the heavenly realm where he lives and reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit. As one who did suffer in every way that you will suffer, Jesus understands you need comfort and strength in the trials of the world. The Holy Spirit has been poured out into your life so that you can receive the fullness of God’s comfort and strength. Then you, too, can triumph in this world while you await full redemption in the world to come.

The Holy Spirit dwells within you to comfort and strengthen you and also to remind you that your eternal destiny is one of glory. We find part of the comfort and strength by keeping an eternal perspective. Paul wrote about this perspective: “For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:17-18).

Jesus has won the victory for you! No matter what you are facing, your eternal glory is secured, and the Lord is with you today to comfort and strengthen you in your pain and struggles.

Reflection:

Are you suffering today? If so, join the prayer of the Collect seeking comfort and strength from the Holy Spirit with an eye on eternity. If not, take this time to pray for someone you know who is suffering. We would love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

Recommended Resource:

Let's face it, the Christian life is hard. Relationships take work. Christians forget. Sometimes it is tempting to go back to the days when God was not the center of our lives - to backslide. We are all faced with tremendous pressures to drift away from intimacy with Jesus and the community of the Church. However, the Lord invites us to pay attention, to move forward, to draw near, and to live lives of worship. Draw Near: Hebrews on Christian Worship is a small group Bible study on the Book of Hebrews intended to lead participants into a deeper intimacy with the living God in the context of New Testament worship. Draw nearer to God in authentic worship today!