Power of a Praying Woman 10/17/06 9:02 AM Page 189
Lord, Comfort Me…
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3. Sometimes our misery is caused by God disciplining us. “No chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it” (Hebrews 12:11). The fruit that this godly disciplining and pruning produces in us is worth the trouble we have to go through to get it, and we have to be careful not to resist it or hate it. “Do not despise the chastening of the LORD, nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; for whom the LORD loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives” (Hebrews 12:5-6). 4. Sometimes we are caught in the midst of the enemy’s work. It’s the enemy’s delight to make you miserable and try to destroy your life. Often the reason for the anguish, sorrow, sadness, grief, or pain you feel is entirely his doing and no fault of your own or anyone else’s. Your comfort is in knowing that as you praise God in the midst of it, He will defeat the enemy and bring good out of it that you can’t even fathom. He wants you to walk with Him in faith as He leads you through it, and He will teach you to trust Him in the midst of it. None of us wants to hear about how good pain and suffering are for us. When we’re in the midst of trouble, tragedy, loss, devastation, or disappointment, we hurt terribly and ?nd it impossible to think beyond the pain. But the Holy Spirit is there to help us. In other translations of the Bible, He is called the Helper. Jesus said, “I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—the Spirit of truth” (John 14:1617). When we turn to the Holy Spirit for help and comfort, He will not only give us aid, but He will give us a richer portion of His presence than we have ever had before. We will