Comfort

             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. (II Corinthians 1:3-4)

 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. (Ephesians 6:13)

 

“It may not be OK for as long as you live, but you will be OK.”

“God will guide, protect, and strengthen you. He loves you.”

“You can grow and become stronger.”

“You are not as fragile as you think.”

“This is not meant to destroy you but to build you into a stronger, wiser, better person.”

These are the things that com-fort/with-strength is meant to convey to us. Comfort isn’t about making us feel all warm and fuzzy. It’s meant to empower us. And what is it meant to empower us to do? Today’s passage does not hold all of the answers to that question, but it holds a big one. We are with-strengthened or empowered to strengthen and empower others.

God doesn’t give us things in a vacuum. His gifts are given in order to be given. With comforting or empowering in mind, we’re going to return to a passage examined many years ago, and probably at least one time since. God gives us armor to use in our battle against evil. But it is not given to us so we can look nice in our shining armor and pose for pictures. It’s given to us to be used to protect ourselves, others, and even more, to enable them to protect themselves and others. Our standing our ground may seem like self-defense when we’re in the heat of battle, but others can be protected or emboldened by our example… even if we think we lose. And that brings to mind a poem.

                    My Five Smooth Stones                            

My five smooth stones, they missed their mark today.

The giant laughed and went his scornful way.

and I, left dazed and bloody on the field,

can only say that I refused to yield,

for all the good that did, I slowed him not

No vict’ry song; it’s better off forgot

 

Your five smooth stones, they missed their mark today

But mine flew straight. They did not go astray.

Your ego’s wound will let your soul be healed,

and from the worst, my mercy did you shield.

The battle won was not the one you thought

But standing there, you did not do for naught.

 

                             Allyn Ransom

(inspired by I Samuel 17:40)