Bec's Blog

December Blog Post by Pastor Bec

This familiar phrase comes to us from the classic Christmas carol “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.” This is one of our favorite minor key Christmas carols, and one of the oldest. The carol originates from 16th century England, and the earliest known printed edition was published in 1760.

In December, I was sending out some Christmas cards with the words “Tidings of Comfort and Joy” on the front. As I filled them out, one by one, it occurred to me that

many of the people I was sending the cards to were struggling with grief, and in great need of God’s great comfort.

This invites the thought that we experience many different seasons in our lives, and there are times when we, also, are in great need of God’s great comfort. There are other seasons when we can simply relax and express great gratitude with great joy.

Tidings of comfort and joy. We belong to, and serve, a God of Comfort.

In 2 Corinthians 1:3-4, Paul calls God the “Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort others.”

Dear reader, are you going through a season of grief even as you read this?

I pray the God of Comfort and Father of Compassion will touch you right now with His comfort, and the peace of Jesus Christ. May you feel His Holy Spirit’s Presence as He wraps His arms of love around you. May you be encouraged and have hope.

And if you have been the recipient of God’s, and other’s, comfort and love and compassion, may you take the time this Christmas season to make an effort to reach out to someone who is struggling, with words of kindness, love and affirmation.

God reminds us in Isiah 43:1-2 that we are not to be afraid, for He has redeemed us!

He has called us by name. (Think of a parent calling out the name of their beloved child. That’s us, with Him!) We are His. When we “pass through the waters,” He will be with us. In white water rafting the stages 3, 4, and especially 5, can be very rough and scary, but there’s always a calm and peaceful stage 1 up ahead!

The Scripture also says “when we pass through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you.” We go through seasons of life where we do feel overwhelmed. But hang in there.

It won’t always be like this. God will grant you His comfort, and hopefully some of His people will too. And then there will be a season when you will experience pure joy, once more. Oh tidings of comfort and joy!