While I love gathering in community and connecting with people, I prefer it in small doses, in small groups, and behind the scenes.
So, when God started nudging me to speak at our church’s recent women’s event, I pushed back a little.
I so wisely told God that the theme was comfort, and it would be ironic to ask someone uncomfortable with speaking in front of large groups to be the speaker on comfort.
And you know what God said back?
Have you read the bible, Joy?
And so I found myself writing words to share with others using my out loud voice.
The following words are an edited version of my notes, reformated to be more easily read. If you’d prefer to listen to the message as it was spoken, I’ve included a link to the audio below.
Let’s begin with a Prayer:
Heavenly Father,
We come before you in the cold of winter, seeking your comfort.
Some of us are dealing with physical discomfort,
others are emotionally distressed.
Some of us are dealing with uncomfortable financial situations,
while others of us are feeling very uncomfortable about where we stand spiritually.
Perhaps not even sure why we came tonight.
Open our hearts to hear the message you have for each of us.
Providing the comfort each of us needs in this season.
Amen
When asked what comes to mind when you consider comfort, some of you will immediately think of words of comfort. Words like cozy, rest, and peace.
Others visualize actual items of comfort, such as a fire, warm blanket, or even food.
But, how many of you, when thinking of comfort, have thought of joy in difficult circumstances?
Hold onto that question for later.
Now, let’s talk about a new word for comfort and cozy that has popped up in recent years. Well, it’s actually not new. It’s been a Danish word and concept for many years, but it’s become popular in America in recent years.
This word is Hygge.
When you search for the meaning of Hygge, you might stumble across a definition of surrounding yourself with or doing things that bring you comfort or coziness.
You can now find Hygge gift boxes and Hygge games. I have read half a dozen books on Hygge myself.
Hygge and this idea of coziness and comfort has become a popular trend for selling winter home decor and other items.
And let’s be honest. When I ask God for comfort, I am usually asking him to make me feel comfortable. I’m generally thinking of the cozy and comfortable Hygge feeling.
The Book of Psalms is one of my favorite places to find cozy comfort. For example, Psalm 94:19 says, In the multitude of my anxieties within me, Your comforts delight my soul. (NKJV)
God’s comfort can be like a warm blanket for our souls, and I could list a dozen verses that speak of God’s comfort in a way that makes us feel more comfortable.
Yet, as I read the bible and consider comfort, I find it goes deeper than just wrapping ourselves in a warm blanket of God’s love.
Psalm 23:4
Even though I walk
through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
Here, the psalmist reminds us that we can find comfort in knowing that God is our shepherd, his rod protecting us, and his staff guiding us.
In America, the idea of Hygge is used to sell cozy home decor, but in its country of origin, it represents a mindset, a way of embracing the long, cold winters and living well from the inside out. And it is not an individual concept but a community rhythm that brings comfort in what most of us consider uncomfortable weather.
God’s provision of comfort often moved beyond the individual needing comfort, extending the story of comfort to others around us.
In 2 Corinthians, 1:3-4 Paul says, Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.
Perhaps, just as Hygge’s definition extends beyond individual cozy or comfort, God’s comfort is given in a way that extends our story beyond us.
Let’s consider the story of Lazarus (John 11).
Lazarus was sick, and his sisters sent word to Jesus, asking him to come. Had Jesus not delayed, he could have prevented Lazarus’s death. But he chose a different way to bring comfort. He let Lazarus die, then he came, and he wept with Mary and Martha. His comfort did not just ease their pain or dry their tears but also showed them compassion. AND, in raising Lazarus from the dead, he revealed God’s glory. It was part of a story that extended beyond just making Lazarus, Mary, or Martha FEEL comfortable.
Now, remember my earlier question: How many of you, when considering comfort, think of joy in difficult circumstances?
Joy in difficult circumstances is not generally where I go when considering comfort.
Remember, Hygge, the original Danish version, is more than cozy home decor. It is a mindset of finding joy in your circumstances. Hygge says if you can’t find joy in the cold of winter, you’ll have less joy, but you’ll still have a cold winter.
Often, we pray for comfort in the form of relief or healing, and I believe God wants us to pray for things that will bring us earthly comfort.
And sometimes those prayers are answered in ways expected.
But, sometimes, our story might look a little more like Lazarus, Mary, and Martha. God’s comfort might not arrive in the time or way we expect it.
God’s story for us is often far greater than we generally dare to imagine. He doesn’t want to just keep us safe and comfortable from a distance. He wants a relationship with us. He wants to come to us in our grief and weep with us, being fully present with us in our grief and in our struggles.
One of my favorite quotes from The Greatest Gift by Ann Voskamp says, “As the cold can move you closer to the fire, struggling can move you deeper towards God who warms you with joy.”
The reality is when we are uncomfortable and struggling, we are more likely to seek God’s comfort.
BUT, having God’s comfort doesn’t mean we get to stay home wrapped up in a warm blanket and never be uncomfortable.
So, let’s look at different aspects of Comfort.
The Greek word parégoria, which translates to comfort, is very close to the idea of the holy spirit, one always present as a helper.
In the Old Testament, neshama, the word often translated as comfort, also translates as “consolation,” “encouragement,” and “exhortation.” the idea being to strengthen morally and spiritually, to encourage, to console one who is in distress.
2 Corinthians 1:3-4 tells us that God is our source of comfort. But He doesn’t just provide us comfort so we can snuggle up in our cozy blanket next to the fire and feel good. “He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others.”
Remember your Sunday school bible stories. The classics like Moses and the burning bush.
In the bible, God didn’t just provide comfort and send everyone home to live comfortably. God’s comfort helped them to courageously move forward and provide help to others.
In Exodus 3, God said to Moses, “I have indeed heard the cry of my people, and I see how the Egyptians are oppressing them. Now, I am sending you to the king of Egypt so that you can lead my people out of his country.”
But Moses said to God, “I am nobody. How can I go to the king and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”
God answered, “I will be with you, and when you bring the people out of Egypt, you will worship me on this mountain. That will be the proof that I have sent you.”
In Judges chapter 6, God said to Gideon, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand,”
Gideon responded, saying, “Pardon me, my lord, but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family”
And the Lord answers, “I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites, leaving none alive.” (6:16)
These stories sound all too familiar, like when I so wisely told God that the theme was comfort, and it would be ironic to ask me, someone uncomfortable with speaking in front of large groups, to be the speaker on comfort.
It seems that God uses those who feel unqualified and uncomfortable. Inviting them to move forward with his strength and comfort.
A Google search on comfort will likely render you a definition such as a state of physical ease, freedom from pain or constraint, and freedom from worry or distress.
And when we think of comfort, most of us quickly go to the physical aspects. Especially in winter, comfort is easily associated with coziness. Sitting by a fire, warm fuzzy blankets, or maybe fuzzy socks.
Yet, real life lived well with God doesn’t always feel that kind of comfortable. In fact, in some seasons, it feels really hard, perhaps impossible.
While the world gives us a definition of comfort that says we should have freedom from stress or pain, consider that perhaps God’s comfort goes deeper than providing temporary relief.
God’s comfort isn’t about avoiding difficult circumstances but rather His being with us in our circumstances.
If we applied the true concept of Hygge, it might put it this way,
We can choose to feel anxious and uncomfortable in our circumstances, but our circumstances won’t necessarily go away; we’ll just be anxious and uncomfortable.
So, what if we looked at God’s provision of comfort differently than the world’s definition of comfort?
2 Corinthians 1:5 says, For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ, we share abundantly in comfort too.
God’s comfort doesn’t always take away the challenges or make us feel comfortable as the world defines comfort. Rather, it reminds us of His sovereign goodness in the midst of our suffering.
Psalm 23, “Your rod, protection and staff, guidance, comfort me.”
Remember the Greek word parégoria, the word often translated in the New Testament to comfort?
Its meaning represents the idea of the holy spirit, the idea being that of one always present as a helper.
God’s comfort is ever present in times of trouble. We always have access to God’s comfort. Like we would move closer to a fire when cold, we simply need to move closer to God in our struggles so He can wrap us in joy.
And let’s not stop there; let’s remember that God says, “I will be with you.” His comfort is given so that we can go out into the world and allow that joy to extend into our community, comforting others with the comfort we have been given.
In Summary:
- God’s comfort is like a warm blanket for our souls. (Psalm 94)
- God’s comfort is ever-present; we simply need to move closer to Him so that He might wrap us in joy. (Psalm 46)
- The psalmist reminds us that we can find comfort in knowing that God is our shepherd, his rod protecting us, and his staff guiding us. 9Psalm 23)
- God’s comfort reminds us of His sovereign goodness in the midst of our suffering. (Romans 8)
- God’s comfort helps us to courageously move forward so that through us, God might provide comfort to others. (2 Corinthians)
A Benedict:
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. (2 Corinthians, 1:3-4)
Whatever discomfort you may be experiencing in your life, May you experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. (Philippians 4:7)
In the multitude of your anxieties, may God’s comforts delight and bring joy to your soul. (Psalm 94:19)
May you know God as your refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. (Psalm 46:1)
And as you are comforted, may you seek to comfort others in their troubles. (2 Corinthians 1:4)
Amen
If you’d like to listen to the original message, click here.
