“Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.”
–1 Peter 5:8 (NLT)

When you were younger, who or what did you turn to for comfort? Were your parents or friends there for you in tough times? My parents were always ready to talk with me when I’d had a hard day, or help me solve a problem or two. I made a few good friends in school, and we shared both good and bad times together.

Later, when I was in college, I started collecting stuffed animals. They reminded me of my childhood, and I sometimes turned to them for comfort after taking a difficult test or enduring a long and hard day of classes.

Now that I’m an adult, I find a lot of comfort in less material ways. I love playing music for others, and of course my husband is a wonderful source of comfort and unconditional love.

But there’s one source of love and comfort that’s far greater than all of the people and things I’ve mentioned, and that’s the constant presence of our Father, God. As Timothy said in our devotion last week, we aren’t meant to worship material things, which are guaranteed to break sometime. Our friends and family may be wonderful people, but every person on Earth must die. God is the only source of comfort in our lives who will be there forever.

Now you may be thinking, “How can I take comfort from someone who I can’t address face-to-face?” Well, I can personally vouch for God’s love in my life, and He has given me relief more times than I can count. When I’m really sad or worried about something, praying about it brings me unspeakable peace every time, and I become very confident that God is making all things work together for good in my life.

God would also love to be a source of comfort in your life. If you already know Him, start telling Him all of your troubles if you haven’t done so already. God will always be there to hear your problems and answer your prayers.

If you don’t know Him yet, I encourage you to study and learn about Him in the Bible. Then pray to Him, confess your sins and ask Him to enter your life.

Telling our problems to family and friends may be wonderful, but God is the only person who will be there with you for every second of your life, and He’s always ready to hear about your troubles and your cares. God showed His true love for you on the cross, and that love will never fade, no matter what happens. So don’t ever hesitate to turn to God for comfort whenever you need it.

Thank you for reading this, and may the Lord give you a wonderful week! We are trying to reach people who are hurting, so if God lays it on your heart, please consider becoming a partner with us. If you would like to make a donation, please visit www.hcmachaplains.org and click on the Donate Now link. You can also send donations by mail to HCMA (Healthcare Chaplains Ministry Association). Our ID number is 560. The address is 377 E. Chapman Ave., Suite 260, Placentia, CA 92870. Finally, you’re always welcome to join our Monday night Bible study or Tuesday night prayer meeting. Both are conducted by conference call, and they take place at 5:30 PM Arizona time. Our conference number is 712-775-7031, and our ID is 607518748. We hope to talk with you soon!

If you have questions, comments or prayer requests for Timothy or Stephanie Burdick, please call 507-369-6861.