Monday, July 12, 2010

The God of Comfort


Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil; For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. (Psalms 23:4)


The valley of the shadow of death can refer to any distressing time in our lives. The awareness of our own mortality often comes with sickness, trials, and hardship. But the Lord, our Protector, can lead us through these dark and difficult valleys to eternal life with Him. There is no need to fear death’s power (1 Cor. 15:25–27).

You are with me: The Good Shepherd is with us even in what seem the most difficult and troubling situations.

Your rod and Your staff: Ancient shepherds used the rod and staff to rescue, protect, and guide the sheep. Thus, they become symbols of the Good Shepherd’s loving care over His flock. The sheep are not alone; their Shepherd is standing over them, guiding them into safety — just as the Lord stands over us and protects us.

Death casts a frightening shadow over us because we are entirely helpless in its presence. We can struggle with other enemies – pain, suffering, disease, and injury – but strength and courage cannot overcome death. It has the final word. Only one person can walk with us through death’s dark valley and bring us safely to the other side – the God of life, our Shepherd. Because life is uncertain, we should follow this Shepherd who offers us eternal comfort.

Father God, thank you for always being with me in my time of troubles and giving me the strength and courage to continue through the valleys of my life. Thank you Lord for being with me in my time of sorrow when only You and You alone could provide the comfort I needed. I pray this all in Jesus’ name. Amen.

References: NKJV Holy Bible, Life Application Bible (NIV), and the Nelson Study Bible.

32 comments:

sunny smiles said...

Our God does it all..I give Him all praise...

Anonymous said...

This post was so needed! Thanks! :o)

Anonymous said...

Amen...It certainly is a comfort to know that even in the times we may fear the most in the natural, we are not alone and we are being led through.

MTJ said...

Hello Lloyd,

Thank you for sharing this post of spiritual comfort and assurance.

I've never said this before but thanks also for the prayers you offer on behalf of us all.

Blessings.

MTJ

Unknown said...

Don't you love Psalm 23.

Thanks for sharing today and reminding us of our incredible Shepherd who guides us through life's valleys.

Blessings,
Melanie

RCUBEs said...

Going through a spiritual battle, i didn't know what verse to read. This was what the Lord showed me. Truly powerful...especially our mighty Savior's Name! What comfort it always is to know that our Good Shepherd is always watching over each of His flock! Glory be to God!

Praying for the Lord's comfort to continue to cover you and may His richest blessings be upon you.

Lou said...

Such a great reminder! Amen!

Paula said...

Thank you for visiting my blog and the nice comment. I will be checking your blog out when I have more time.

Jesson Balaoing said...

a prayer, amen!

Sheila Deeth said...

Thanking Him indeed.

Back in England, we refered to the teachers in school as the "staff" rather than "faculty." I imagined God's staff might be his angels reaching out with long sticks to rescue me from quicksand.

Julia Phillips Smith said...

An interesting post to make its way to me today. Synchronistic, I would say.

Tea with Tiffany said...

Powerful teaching and prayer. Thank you!

Denise said...

Such a lovely reminder.

Wanda said...

Amen. Our God is faithful!

Amber said...

A post I needed to read today, Thank you!

Thank you for visiting my blog and for your kind comment.

I'll be checking in on your's.

Sorry to read about your mother!
I know she is happy and full of peace sitting next to God.

I read your profile also. My heart goes out to you and your family for the loss of your son.
I lost an uncle 2 years ago, he also took his own life.
I am happy to read such positive thoughts and the joys you have with your family and grandchildren.

Your welcome to visit my blog anytime.

Amber

Solid Rock or Sinking Sand said...

I want to thank everyone for their visits and comments. It is such a blessing to hear from other believers and get feedback on my posts.

Girl in My Own World: I am so happy that this post touched your heart. God’s Word will never return void.

GODthinker: It is very comforting to know that when the time draws near to our leaving these earthly tents, that our Lord will guide us home.

MTJ: Thank you so much for your heartfelt comments. I always want to give all the glory too our Lord and Savior for all that He has done for us. God’s blessings too you.

RCUBEs: I will be praying for your peace and comfort that only Jesus can give us. Isn’t it amazing how God leads us to His Word to comfort us when we are reaching out to Him. Thank you so much for all your prayers.

Sheila Deeth: I can also imagine that happening too. I can also imagine His angels reaching out and hitting us with a 2x4 to get our attention when we stray too far from the narrow path.

Julia Smith: Thanks for your comments…God works in mysterious ways.

Amber: I am so happy that this post touched your heart and soul. So sorry to hear about the loss of your uncle to suicide. Even though it has been over six years since my son took his own life, sometimes it feels like it was just yesterday. God has blessed my wife and me with friends and family that helped us get through this tragedy. God’s blessings too you and may He continue to give you the peace and comfort that you need.

Pat Thacker said...

Wonderful encouraging words!!! It's so good to know that God is always with us to help & protect us!!! Thanks for your visit I enjoyed my visit here Lloyd and have a tremendous day.

Nikki (Sarah) said...

Yes to this!!!!

Tracy said...

I'm so grateful that God is a GOOD shepherd and that He lets us look to Him for direction and care.

Lib said...

Amen Brother!
Blessins',Lib

Charlotte said...

Hi Lloyd, it's nice to meet you. As soon as I came here and heard the a cappella music, I thought "Church of Christ." My husband preached for the C of C for over 40 years. I have an uncle in Roseburg who attends the C of C. His name is Emmet Kizzia. Perhaps you know him.
I'm sorry you lost your mother, even though it is temporary. My mother (Emmet's sister) went to be with the Lord over 10 years ago. I still miss her terribly.
I'm glad you found our Spiritual Sundays blog. We've been doing it about two years and it has been such a blessing to so many, especially to Ginger and me.
Charlotte

Solid Rock or Sinking Sand said...

My dear Charlotte, thank you so much for your visit and kind words. It is hard too lose a parent.

I am not really sure how you could assume that I was associated with the churches of Christ by the background music on my blog. The churches of Christ teach baptismal regeneration and believe they are the only “true church” in operation today (See my side bar “The Truth Will Set You Free”). I am not associated with the churches of Christ. See my side bar “What I Believe” if you are interested.

Now if you want to know what church I fellowship with, it is a baptist church in Roseburg. However, I am a Christian first who just so happens to be a member of a baptist church.

Anyways…Thanks for your visit and your Spiritual Sundays blog is a blessing too all. God bless, Lloyd

CherylT said...

Comfort found in remembering that He is always looking out for us.

Debbie Petras said...

What a comfort this Psalm can be. I love this Psalm and I thank you for visiting Heart Choices as I too share a bit on this Psalm. God bless you as you go through your mourning for your mom.

Anonymous said...

Thank you for the words of comfort and encouragement. I need them on a daily basis. Seriously, I do. God Bless your blog and have a great wek.

Stephen Tremp

Ruth said...

thanks for this very inspiring message!! i needed it..

and thanks for stopping by Underneath His Wrapping

i've always been encouraged reading your posts!!

Ruth

Carolyne said...

"Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints." Psalm 116:15

Dear Lloyd~I am so glad you stand on God's Word alone for your comfort, knowing that you will be with her again in our Lord's Presence forevermore. Even now your Mom is experiencing the best of the Best.......
"And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow,
nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. Revelation 21:4

Giving thanks to God for your blessed testimony.
~Carolyne

Razzgospel said...

Please excuse me for this seemingly unrelated comment, but I just joined as a follower, and I love the recording that's playing. I've sung this for many years in a black Men's Chorus and have always loved the song. We sing it a little differently, with piano accompaniment, but I love acapella singing.

Pardon my enthusiasm. Where can I get this recording?

Glory to God said...

What I find interesting is how we're referred to as sheep. I don't know about sheep that well, but they seem pretty skittish. They seem to exhibit fear much like we do in life. I'm so glad that God is the God of comfort. All of us need His loving arms one time or another, even if that is His rod and staff.

God bless Lloyd!

Solid Rock or Sinking Sand said...

CherylT: Thank you for the comforting words…It is so true that He comforts His children in times of sorrow.

Debbie: Thank you for visiting my blog and the comforting words. I think God drew me over to your blog to read your post which brought great comfort to me. God bless.

Stephen: Thank you so much for the visit. May our Lord continue to give you comfort and encouragement. God’s blessings too you.

Ruth: I am so happy that these humble posts on my blog give you encouragement. I give all the glory to God our Savior. Bless you.

Carolyne: Thank you so much for your visit and comforting words. Isn’t it wonderful that God will someday wipe away all of our tears and that there will be no more pain and sorrow? I just love reading Revelation 21:4. God’s blessings too you.

Razz: I really enjoyed visiting your blog and want to thank you for dropping by. The hymnal “The Solid Rock” which plays in the background of my blog inspired me to name my blog “Solid Rock or Sinking Sand”. I sent you an email where you can find this hymnal on the internet. God’s blessings too you.

Dean: Thanks for the visit. You are right… sheep are skittish and they rely solely on someone to watch out after them. Our Great Shepherd never loses sight of us sheep, even when we drift off course. God’s blessings too you.

Sarah said...

God lead me to this desperately needed message of comfort. You must be real special to God. Blessings.

Solid Rock or Sinking Sand said...

Sarah: Thank you so much for your visit. God does use other believers to communicate with us. We are all special to God and the awesome thing about it is that our Holy and Almighty God shows no partiality. You are just as important and loved by God as any other believer. God’s blessings too you.