Streams in the Desert. This is a deep and sometimes heavy devotional. Take a few minutes to go through today’s reading.
The question: “Are there some people in your circle of friends to whom you naturally go in times of trials and sorrow – people who always seem to say just the right words and who give you the very counsel you so desire? If so, you may not realize the high cost they have paid to become so skilled at binding up your gaping wounds and drying your tears.”
That’s a doozy of a first paragraph and an important one. You need people. I need people. More importantly, we deserve a circle of trusted friends who laugh with us and wipe our tears for us. We do.
The scripture from the “Streams in the Desert” devotional comes from a letter Paul was writing to the people of Corinth. He starts the letter by praising the God as the one “who comforts us in all our troubles with the comfort we ourselves receive from Him.” – 2 Corinthians 1:4 God sounds like a good friend, doesn’t He?
And to bust through all the doubt of an unseen God; God sent us Jesus. By Jesus’ life we can FEEL comfort. He suffered, he cried, he was betrayed, he was hungry. And he also spent his life loving others, including everyone, being a good listener, pulling people together so he could tell stories, sharing a meal with friends.
The verse we focus on today paints a picture of how valuable we are to one another – sharing pain, sharing comfort, sharing Hope. God made us for community. God made us for each other.
God comforts us through His son and through each other. Look for that today.
If the devotional felt deep, can I offer you a “lighter” look at the same message?
Christmas Day is in our grasp so long as we have hands to clasp.
Christmas Day will always be just as long as we have we.
Welcome Christmas while we stand heart to heart and hand in hand.
I pray today you hold the height and width and breadth of the message:
Dr. Seuss & “Streams in the Desert”
You & Me & God
– Together we go hand in hand.
