Joy: 37-Day DevotionalSample

On July 15, 2016, we miscarried our fifth child. It was a strange season around our church as multiple women had shared their stories of recent miscarriage. As a pastor’s wife, I so desperately wanted to wrap these mommas up, wipe away their tears, take away their pain, and comfort them. I remember looking at them and saying, “I have never experienced a miscarriage, but I would love for you to teach me how to grieve with you and care for you.” Simultaneously, I was thinking, “I will never experience a miscarriage. Our family is complete and our birth control method is 99.9% successful in preventing a pregnancy.” Little did I know, at that exact time, the Creator and Sustainer of life had sovereignly given life to my womb and one week later the Creator and Sustainer of life would sovereignly take away that life. As believers though, we are not left without hope in our deepest pains and greatest sorrows. There is joy and comfort found in the God of all comfort. 

2 Corinthians 1:3–5 describes God as the Father of mercies and God of all comfort. One of God’s incommunicable attributes is that He is infinite. He lacks nothing. If He lacks nothing, then He is the God of infinite comfort. There is no scarcity or limited amount of comfort. The way to abundant comfort is through the sharing in Christ’s sufferings. The pain of miscarriage is covered in the abundant comfort available to us through Christ. Suffering and pain are all a part of being human this side of heaven. However, we praise and bless the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ because the Day of the Lord is coming. A day when, “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away. And behold, I am making all things new.” (Revelation 21:4–5 ESV)

Lord, thank You for being the God of infinite comfort! Help me run to You in my pain and suffering knowing that one day You will make all things new.