Psalm 46:1-7
The Lord said, “As a mother comforts her child, so I will comfort you; you shall be comforted in Jerusalem.” -Isaiah 66:13 (NRSVUE)
My doctor told me I needed a medical procedure. I dreaded having it, and as the day came closer, I became more and more afraid. On the day of the procedure, I wore a T-shirt that had belonged to my mother. Feeling its soft material on my shoulders and arms, I remembered how my mother used to put her arms around me. When I was a small child and not feeling well, she would rock me and sing to me.
As the doctor gave me the anesthesia, the memory of my mother comforting me reminded me that God also comforts us. I remembered scripture from the worship service that past Sunday: “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear.” I went to sleep feeling calm and peaceful as I once did in my mother’s arms.
Prayer: O God, help us to turn to you for comfort when we are afraid. We pray as Jesus taught us, “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one” (Matt. 6:9-13, NIV). Amen.
Thought for the day: God is like a mother comforting her child.
Cheryl Raley Wood (Tennessee, USA)
