Just a thought and a share

I get devotionals delivered to my email as many of you do. Sometimes one will speak to me louder than others. This one seemed appropriate for all the trials and hard bumps we hit as we travel though our lives. I wanted to share this with you:

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Comfort and Joy  “Shout for joy, O heavens; rejoice, O earth; burst into  song, O mountains! For the Lord comforts his people  and will have compassion on his afflicted ones.”  Isaiah 49:13 God is aware of our suffering and He wants His children to discover relief in Him.Our affliction may be  self-inflicted or from outside sources. Regardless,  His compassion is more than empathy, but it is  active and far reaching. No matter how deep  and severe our wounds, He cares. He comforts the afflicted and afflicts those who are too comfortable. He understands your hurt. He understands your rejection. He understands your  humiliation.  He understands your fears. Jesus walked through the hurt of humanity on His way to the halleluiahs of  heaven. He will never leave you or forsake you.  It is for you and others that He lived and died.  His mercies, love and grace are new every morning.  “Because of  the LORD’s great love we are not  consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are  new every morning; great is your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22-23). Christ is a catalyst for community, as He invites  you to join Him and His church. The compassion of Christ and others is a healing balm; so seek out the comfort and compassion of God’s people. The Body of Christ is there to administer  healing and support. A wounded body part will eventually die if left unattended, but will recover  and thrive with the support of other members.  Christians are interdependent on one another. Pride resists receiving help, but humility seeks help.  Pride and humility cannot coexist. Pride says I can  buck up and go at this alone. Humility says alone  I will fail, but with others I will succeed. Our  perception becomes skewed under the onslaught of affliction. We lose sight of the spiritual battle that is  raging. Humility battles on its knees in prayer. But your brothers and sisters in Christ help you fight  the enemy, like loyal comrades in a crisis. So, let  God’s comfort and the comfort of others administer  grace to your wounded heart. Trust Him to fight the  good fight on your behalf. Let Jesus love on you. Let people encourage you and hold you accountable.  One day you will be able to comfort others with  the same comfort you have received.  Indeed, your  compassion will be much deeper, broader and  Christ-like. Therefore, rejoice because of His  great comfort and compassion! “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). Do I rejoice in the comfort of Christ? Am I extending His comfort to the uncomfortable? Related Readings: Psalm 119:50-52; Isaiah 12:1;   2 Corinthians 7:7; Philippians 2:1-3