December 14 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

Devotional

It is the custom of the church in which I was ordained that the first official sermon is delivered in the presence of a number of elders and pastors. In my first sermon I had some incisive things to say (I thought) about certain weaknesses of the Christian church. I exposed them mercilessly. An elderly pastor tried to argue against my interpretation, but he lost the debate. By way of a parting admonition, he merely looked at me and said, "As long as you know that we must preach comfort."

Those words have never left me.

The Bible and the Christian confession give a richer than ordinary meaning to the word comfort. We certainly know the comfort of togetherness; we appreciate the silent handshake and the strong arm around the shoulders in times when grief is too deep for words. But people who are not Christians also experience this balm of human sympathy.

To us, comfort is an assurance we receive from God himself. It is a certainty God lays on our hearts, a certainty by which we are so strengthened that we have the power to endure the most wretched circumstances. We have acquired the habit of calling this our "only" comfort. It's not that we don't appreciate the other good things in life that offset suffering or lessen our pain. Yet there is only one certainty that pulls us through: "That I am not my own, but belong—body and soul, in life and in death—to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ" (Heidelberg Catechism, Answer 1).

Comfort is what everyone needs and what believers have. That doesn't mean everyone recognizes the need for this comfort. As long as we have a superficial knowledge of our needs, we have to do with the kind of comfort that human wisdom and sympathy can offer—the silver lining of the dark clouds and the silent handshake.

But the Bible and our confession speak of the only comfort, the comfort that meets our deepest need.

REFLECTIONS

Recall a time when you were in need of the kind of comfort and certainty only Jesus can provide. Did God provide you with his "comfort" and assurance? What form did that comfort take?

Andrew Kuyvenhoven's Daylight, a modern devotional classic, was originally published by Paideia Press in 1977. This updated edition is copyright 2009 by Faith Alive Christian Resources. You can order a copy of this revised version of the book directly from the publisher.

A man of many accomplishments, Andrew Kuyvenhoven is probably best known for his contributions to Today (formerly The Family Altar), a widely-used monthly devotional booklet associated with the Back to God Hour. Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations for this updated edition of Daylight are from the Holy Bible: Today's New International Version copyright 2001, 2005 by the International Bible Society.