A Friend In MePrimjer

“Healing Comfort”

Jesus said, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”

We must live out the pattern of comfort for the younger women in our lives, no matter the cause of their pain or discomfort. Jesus didn’t classify the mourners who we should comfort. It doesn’t matter who is at fault for the pain. We can comfort younger women even when they are acting in ways we don’t approve of or understand.

In Scripture, the Greek word for “comfort” is parakaleo, meaning “to the side of,” with kaleo meaning “to call.” The word’s intent is to help, comfort, encourage—it’s a kind of call with a particular effect. When a young woman tells you what her pain is, comfort her. It’s what she needs and nothing more.

If we are going to build trust with the next generation, then our approach to offering healing comfort must follow the pattern of God’s own heart toward his people. He didn’t desert them when they were in need of comfort; his desire to give to them was stronger than the reasons why they got to such a bad place.

Hosea 2:14-15 describes how God restored Israel when she was furthest from him. Although Israel turned her back on the One who loved her most, worshiped other gods, and suffered all alone in her captivity, God pursued her and cared about how she was feeling. He saw how troubled she was because of her deep wound, and he desired to do good to her.

“Therefore I am now going to allure her; I will lead her into the wilderness and speak tenderly to her. There I will give her back, her vineyards, and will make the Valley of Achor a door of hope.”

When God offers healing comfort, he touches the soul with all of its messiness and hardness and confusion. Love comforts, which is why the psalmist cried in Psalm 119:76, “May your unfailing love be my comfort.”

*Are you tempted to withhold love or comfort depending on the circumstance that caused the pain? Why is that a poor practice?