Come to Me – Day 10

In Isaiah 40, God desires to comfort his people. In the first 39 chapters of Isaiah, the message is anything but comforting. It is a message of judgement against nations, kingdoms, cities and people. However, in chapter 40, we see a change in the focus of the prophecy – now it is to comfort God’s people after their trials.

The Hebrew verb translated as “comfort” (nacham) means to console or calm down someone. This same verb appears later in Isaiah when the Lord says, “As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you; and you will be comforted over Jerusalem” (Isaiah 66:13). For Judah, God’s comfort came especially in the good news of his new work of restoration.

God continues to comfort us today in a variety of ways. When we take our worries to him in prayer, God gives us the gift of his peace. When we remember his faithfulness in the past, we are calmed in the present. Often, God’s comfort comes through his people, who care for us, suffer with us, pray for us and share God’s love with us in tangible ways. Thus, we have the chance, not only to receive divine comfort, but also to be instruments of this comfort to others.

Think about the times when you have experienced God’s comfort in the past and remember his faithfulness if you need his comfort today. Who in your life needs to experience God’s comfort? Are you willing to be a channel of his comfort?