The Messenger Zine - COMFORT / Issue 13
Devotional
Comfort Heals
As a mother comforts her child, so I will comfort you.
Isaiah 66:13
Comfort is the most natural thing to little children. They run into arms of love, climb into laps of family members, “stick” really close, wail loudly when hurt, expecting to be soothed. When comforted, they return easily to a state of joy.
- Comfort: the easing or alleviation of a person’s feelings of grief or distress.
As we grow up, this comfort gradually vanishes from our lives. We become less open to share our struggles, and the meaning of comfort seems to shift towards luxury and enjoyment, which only bring a brief respite.
- Comfort: a state of physical ease and freedom from pain or constraint.
I remember being really sick at a work retreat once. By dinner time, my migraine had grown so bad that I could hardly hold food down. Thankfully, one of my co-workers noticed that my face had turned pale and figured something was wrong.
She went to the pharmacy to get me some panadol. Then, when the throwing up continued, she gave me some plastic bags for containment. Finally she chose to skip an appointment just to send me home safely in a cab.
The comfort I experienced that day when I was weak, stinky, and incoherent brought forth an enduring joy that has lasted till today. Experiencing comfort restores joy. Unless we allow ourselves to be comforted, we will find it hard to move on or comfort others.
Since the fall of man, we have run from God in our distress and tried to comfort ourselves. In Jeremiah 2:13, God laments,
“My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken Me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.”
When Jesus came, He showed us what it is to run towards God. In the Garden of Gethsemane and when He hung on the cross to redeem us from our sins, Jesus reached out to His Father in Heaven for comfort.
The Apostle Paul tells us in Hebrews 12 that the Father reached down and restored Jesus’ joy: “For the joy set before him (Jesus) endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God”.
When we experience God’s comfort, it opens our heart to be restored and we grow in our capacity to comfort others - not by knowing the right words to say, but being present with those we love. Remember this day that Jesus sayangs (loves) you!
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
Interview
Superblessed
Superblessed.Co was founded by a dynamic brother and sister duo, Paul and Sara, who grew up supported by a single mother. They launched their brand through a successful kickstarter campaign. Paul attributes being superblessed to a praying mum.
Hi there ~ Can you tell us what Superblessed is all about?
Superblessed.Co is a brand that seeks to pack a punch in youth culture through apparel, and we are all about creating high quality goods with the highest quality messages!
What is the ethos behind Superblessed?
The origin of the term ‘brand’ derives from the old Norse word ‘brandr’ or “to burn,” and refers to the practice of branding livestock, which dates back more than 4,000 years. So whenever you wear a brand, you’re telling the world where you’re from or who you belong to, allowing your bodies to become makeshift billboards broadcasting the brand’s values and vision.
After seeing so many poisonous, degrading and harmful messages young people were being told through what they were sold, the desire to make a difference was born.
The written Word of God is the only answer and antidote to this. To truly honour God (the author) and man (the recipient), we as messengers must carefully interpret, prayerfully prepare and skillfully present the message, asking the Lord to help us create with such heavenly wisdom that people of the world go “WOW” when they see it.
Every piece that we create must showcase depth of understanding, yet be communicated in a lighthearted, non-preachy, eye-catching and wholesome manner. We want to leave plentiful trails of breadcrumbs so people can follow them out of dark forests of despair.
As a brand, we seek to take root in as many attitudes and mindsets of people on this side of heaven as we can, through first planting seeds in their wardrobes.
On the message of comfort, what does comfort mean to you?
It is such a pleasant surprise to be asked by The Commandment Co to share about the message of Comfort, in the month Mothers’ Day is being celebrated. This word means everything to us!
You see, Superblessed.Co is actually made of a brother and sister duo, having grown up supported by a single mother. Life was quite uncomfortable and many months we would find ourselves just scraping by financially. Comfort was quite a foreign word in our journey... but we never lacked and God always provided! Thankful to have a praying mum!
We’ve come to realise that the message of comfort is not so much a topic, theme or subject but a characteristic of The Holy Spirit. Jesus Himself describes to His disciples in John 14:26 [AMP]
“But the Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor-Counselor, Strengthener, Standby), the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name [in My place, to represent Me and act on My behalf], He will teach you all things. And He will help you remember everything that I have told you.”
Regardless of whether you believe in supernatural miracles or not, we want to remind every believer with this simple verse that the Holy Spirit has been sent by God to help and comfort you, regardless of your circumstances.
Our hearts can find rest, knowing the truth. That Comfort is just who He is! He is not a spirit of condemnation, guilt or depression but The Comforter. Won’t you allow Him to truly be Himself in your life today?
How do you find comfort, or what do you take comfort in? Even in a world that is constantly busy?
A practical step in finding comfort is to be wise and discerning about who you surround yourself with. Even King Solomon (after he received a wise and understanding heart from God) appointed wise counsel to surround himself with, so that he could reign over the different facets of his kingdom well. How much more for us, what voices are we giving weight to?
It's more than having or being a friend who just repeats Bible verses and prays in tongues all the time... But do the people who speak into your life also represent the Spirit of comfort and help well? It's not so much the quantity of content that they are sharing with you, but the quality of spirit by which they do. Are you able to mutually value add to each other's lives? As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens his friend. If you currently don't have a friend like that yet, trust God to help YOU to grow to become that person to others.
We strongly believe that Jesus is the comfort that the world needs, and as His disciples, the anointing is upon all of us to go and do likewise with our lives. For the Bible says in 1 John 4:17 that “as He is so are we in this world.”
As creatives creating with the Creator, the work of our hands should have a similar goal. We actually pray over every piece we create such that when people come into contact with our pieces, the spirit of depression and self harm will be cast far away from them!
Our prayer is that the Holy Spirit will comfort and restore to them a sense of beauty and glory, regardless of the season of mourning they may be in where they may only be able to see ashes all around.
The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,
because the Lord has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor
and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
and provide for those who grieve in Zion -
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
instead of ashes,
the oil of joy
instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the Lord
for the display of his splendor.
Isaiah 61:1-3
The brand story of The Commandment Co is to ‘Send A Message. Inspire Someone.’ What is one message you would like to leave our readers on the topic of “Comfort”?
Catch a new vision, young man! Dare to dream again, old man!
Don’t settle for less, live life SUPERBLESSED!
Short Story
The Hospital Window
There were two men, both seriously ill, who shared the same hospital room. One man got a seat next to the room’s only window. The man was also allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help him drain fluids from his lungs. The other man had to spend all his time lying flat on his back.
The two roommates quickly bonded and started talking for hours on end. They talked about their lives, their jobs, children and wives. One day the man on the other side of the window, expressed how he envied the man near the window. From that day the man near the window started describing all the things he could see outside the window.
The window overlooked a lovely park with a lake. Ducks played on the lake while children sailed their model boats. Young lovers walked arm in arm amidst flowers of every colour and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance.
The man on the other bed began to live for those one hour where he could hear and visualize the world outside the hospital room. The one hour of every day would broaden broadened his world and enlivened by all the activity and colour of the world outside.
Days and weeks passed by.
One morning, a nurse arrived to examine the condition of the two patients. She found the lifeless body of the man by the window. The man had peacefully embraced his death on his sleep.
The other man grieved the death of his roommate. But as the day passed by he started missing the way his roommate described the view out of the window. In a hope to have a peek out of the window and the beautiful world outside, the other man asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse happily made the switch. As soon as he was comfortable in his new bed, the man slowly and painfully propped himself to take his first look at the world outside.
But as he strained to slowly turn to look out of the window beside him. He was stunned to see a blank wall outside the window. The agitate man asked the nurse what could have made his roommate to lie about the view outside the window.
“There is nothing to see from here. Where are all the wonderful things he saw? He described everything so vividly. Is this a new and recent wall? Why did he give me such vivid details that don’t exist?” He asked
The nurse shook her head and answered his questions, “Perhaps he just wanted to encourage you and make you happy. You see, your roommate was totally blind”.
(Adapted from https://alltimeshortstories.com/life-the-hospital-window/)
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