The Good Shepherd: Devotions Inspired by Psalm 23Shembull

God, Our Comforter 

By Casey Hale 

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 (NIV) 

My journey to parenthood has been a long lesson in learning about God as the Comforter. My husband and I have two babies in heaven, and I spent a lot of time doing what I could to avoid the pain of those heartbreaks, which really meant I avoided allowing God to heal my heart. Thankfully, through the Lord’s gentle nudges, I finally realized His perfect comfort was what I really needed. It makes me a little sad to think about the time I spent trying to hide when the Lord was right there, waiting for me to allow Him in. How sweet is His patience with His children! 

By God’s grace, my husband and I now have two kids on earth. And while I’m so sad to ever see them in pain, my heart warms the moment they turn to me for comfort. I love that they crawl into my lap to be hugged and rocked when they cry. When either of them experiences even the smallest scrape or slightest hurt feeling, I want my children to know they can immediately come to me. For them, I am the fixer, the healer, and the comforter. And when we lock eyes across the room, I want their first relieved thought to be, Oh good, there’s my mom. 

Of course, in my human nature, I can still easily feel inconvenienced by how often my children need me. Right now, as infants, they are totally and completely dependent on me. As they learn to walk and talk, they need me to fix meals, teach, and have fun with them. As they grow, the name “Mom” might come close to being worn out. And when they’re adults, they might not actually need me. But I want them to come to me for comfort—just because. I want my kids to know without a doubt I am always there for them with open arms and love. What an honor it is to be a parent! 

Because I have experienced God’s perfect love and comfort, my goal as a parent and a believer is to comfort others and ultimately point them to God—our Father and the Comforter—who says and does and is exactly what we need. It is simply who He is. When the Bible talks about having childlike faith, I believe part of that means knowing instinctively, without any doubt, that God our Father is always there for us with open arms and love. He wants to comfort us, and He never feels inconvenienced. In fact, it is a joy to Him when His children seek His comfort. Psalm 46:1 tells us, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” 

I believe it warms God’s heart the moment we invite Him into our hurts because we know with full confidence that He is all we need. I like to imagine God wrapping His big, warm arms around me and smiling when in relief and comfort I say, “Oh good, there’s my Father.” 

PRAYER 

Lord, I praise You because You are the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort. Thank You for wanting to comfort and be close to me. May I always lean into Your presence. Help me see those around me that need Your comfort. Thank You for the healing You’ve done in my heart through Your perfect comfort. In Jesus’ name, Amen. 

FOR FURTHER REFLECTION   

• Ask God, “What does Your perfect comfort mean for me?”   
• Pray for God to reveal any areas in your life where you may be running from pain and blocking His perfect comfort and healing.   
• Ask God to show you how to be better at inviting Him to heal the hurts in your heart.   
• Pray for God to give you wisdom about people in your life you can encourage to turn to Him for comfort.

Holy Spirit, what are You saying to me today?

MEMORY VERSE

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. Psalm 23:4