Be Comforted

Whenever we allow ourselves to begin to heal as we move forward at the death of a loved one, our feelings and emotions become so mixed at certain times that we can feel happiness and then in an instant that happiness turns to uncontrollable grief as our mind races from one thought to the next.  These almost instantaneous complete opposites in our emotions can be very confusing and difficult to handle.  Dealing with our grief after the loss of a loved one is a time when our emotions and feelings are in overdrive.  Sometimes its like our bodies are just along for the ride as we wait for the next emotional wave to crash over us.  This is emotionally, physically and spiritually exhausting for us.  Its like we are suffocating in our own emotional roller coaster just waiting for the ride to end to catch our breath, but we are completely lost in our feelings and totally off balance as the scenes of our life rush by as we ride this roller coaster.

As we lose ourselves in these feelings and emotions, invariably we are awakened out of this upheaval by the reality of the moment.  We find ourselves in the midst of the daily activities of living and we have to step away from that roller coaster and somehow find a way to function and deal with our everyday tasks.  Those of you that are experiencing or have experienced this avalanche of emotional overload know what I am talking about.

When these waves of emotion flood into my thoughts, I have disciplined myself to go to my Bible and begin to read and let it minister to my heart.  We must continually seek God’s help in our deepest and darkest moments.  Do we let our minds look to the God of this universe or do we dwell on the hurt and pain and the emotions that we experience and continue down into the depths of our emotions and let them carry us even deeper into despair?

We must allow God to be our comfort and be comforted by His Word.  One of the passages that has been of much consolation and hope for me is Psalm 34.  Although the circumstances of David’s writing in this chapter are different than ours, but the battle against the fear of going on,  the depths of despair and drowning in floods of emotions and feelings are the very same.  David realized that his comfort came from God and God alone.  He sought the comfort of God and received it time and time again throughout his life.

To receive God’s comfort, we must actively seek it.  We do that by reading His Word and letting it speak to our hearts by meditation on His Word and our fervent prayers.  Psalms 34:1-4 (KJV) says, “I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad. O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together.  I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.”

God’s comfort for us is waiting.  We must reach out and accept that comfort and allow His Words to heal our fractured, broken hearts.  The journey we face as we heal is long and hard.  We must constantly seek His strength, sometimes moment by moment.  But His promises are sure and his Word is our strength if we abide in the Lord and give praise to Him even in times of our troubles and tribulations.