Comfort for God's People.

I have a blanket I still sleep with. It’s soft and white with a light pink silk trim. My Grandma made it for me when I was a baby, and 26 years later I still sleep with it. Yes, you read that correctly. I share this with you to give you a small picture of my search for temporary comfort. Anxiety most often consumes me at night and in my first few moments of the day. This blanket has become a comfort piece in the midst of fear and anxiety swirling around in my heart, weighing heavy in my chest. I rub the pink trim between my fingers as my attempt to crawl my way out of the darkness.I found myself in Isaiah 40 this morning. The title of the chapter caught my eye as it read, “Comfort for God’s People.” I have read chapter 40 before...I had notes scribbled in the margins from who knows what previous seasons of my life. But this time, I read it differently. Anxiety has become a daily battle only in the past few years of my life. As I read the chapter title I thought, “Oh, this could be the answer for me on my heavy days.” So I read the familiar words again, scanning for a solution to my problems. I blinked at the last verses of the chapter as I tried to process the power of the words I read.Chapter 40 talks all about God’s infinite power and wisdom, that’s it. I, like most Americans, like quick fixes and clarity. If I were to hear God was sharing the secret to comfort in the midst of anxiety, I’d be first in line with my notebook ready. However, instead of giving detailed, step-by-step instructions like I desire, he gives reminders of who he is. There is no equation to solve—there is only him. I don’t know about you, but when I think of finding comfort in the Lord, I focus on his unending love, mercy, and gentleness. These are all important characteristics, but rarely do I take the time to also consider the deep importance of his wisdom and power. I’m not sure why, but I think it’s because I believe I should be wise and in control.“Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the whole earth. He never becomes faint or weary; there is no limit to his understanding.” Isaiah 40:28I love how God works in ways opposite of our prideful, selfish, broken human tendencies. He is the everlasting God, so we don’t have to be the God of our own lives. He never tires, so we can rest in our weariness. When we don’t understand, he does. Our comfort is not circumstantial, but solely comes from who he is. That is where we are called to find the comfort we were created for, in him.I find myself most anxious when I don’t have the answers, am out of control, or am in the midst of the unknown. Notice each of those situations has something in common—me. I struggle with anxiety when I stop looking at God and make everything about me instead. We are broken and not expected to have it all together, so why do we let ourselves think otherwise? That’s why I only fall deeper into depression when I believe I hold the answers. We were created for communion with the everlasting God because he is everything we are not.Where are you trying to find temporary comfort? What lies do you believe for yourself that leave you feeling helpless? I am set free when I turn my gaze from my surroundings to the One who created it all. True eternal comfort is not meant to come from anything we do or say, and why would I want it that way? The Lord holds it all so we don’t have to.“The grass withers, the flowers fade, but the word of our God remains forever.” Isaiah 40: 8words by Lauren Grindstaff and photo by Kailin Richardson