FINDING COMFORT IN GOD

FINDING COMFORT IN GOD Today we celebrate The PASSION of John the Baptist Who is Jesus' cousin The precursor to Jesus And who came To PREPARE the way The bible Has its share of eccentric figures But none more so than John “John's clothes Were made of Camel's hair And he had A leather belt Around his waist His food was locusts And wild honey” Matthew 3:4 Talk about eccentric We had Some very eccentric GREAT UNCLES In our family But not even they Ate locusts and wild honey John was a very good man And his MISSION Was to prepare the people For the moral and spiritual teachings Of Jesus “Herod feared John KNOWING him To be a righteous And holy man........” Mark 6:20 John was One of those people Who could NOT Hold back From telling people What was on his MIND He criticized King Herod Telling him that his marriage To his brother's wife Was UNLAWFUL And it ultimately COST John his life When he was beheaded I am SURE John found COMFORT IN GOD As he knew His cousin Jesus Was to BEGIN his mission Of bringing God to the world “EVEN though I walk Through the darkest valley I fear no evil For you are with me Your rod and your staff THEY COMFORT ME” Psalm 23:4 “May your unfailing love BE MY COMFORT According to your promise To your servant” Psalm 119:76 Many of us too ARE righteous and HOLY Just like John (And we may be A little bit eccentric too) But we too EXPERIENCE UNJUST criticism and punishment But we too Can go on Just as the KINGDOM of God did Because we find The SPIRIT of John The spirit of Jesus And the COMFORT OF GOD Living in our hearts Living deep within us “COMFORT-comfort my people Says your God” Isaiah 40:1 “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 1:3-4 DEAR FRIENDS-May you find The comfort that John did The comfort That Jesus did For we ALL Need to experience And do receive THE COMFORT OF GOD Robert P. Wallman 8-28-15