SOUTHERN COMFORT

There’s a strong motivation for people to turn to alcohol and drugs.  We all need comfort.  It’s built right into our God-like design to require the soothing sense of being covered, protected, and nurtured.  Without a relationship with God, we are ultimately discomforted.  Away from God, we could not be more like a bone out of a joint or a broken tooth.  We can’t handle the pressure or changes without extreme pain, anxiety, and, you guessed it, discomfort! 

The Psalmist David was a man called to great things but faced unbelievable pressures.  He was the youngest of a big family.  His dad forgot about him when the prophet Samuel asked if he had any more sons.  Nope, not a one.  His brothers had rejected him.  His king was trying to kill him, and he had a bounty on his life.  His wife betrayed him.  His top commander and his son commit treason in order to steal the kingdom from him.  Multiply this by 100, and you might get a sense of the difficulties David faced in life. 

So what was the answer for this accomplished warrior and king?  The famous 23rd Psalm says this in verse 4: “Yes, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.”  At the top of this Psalm, he clearly states, The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.  To put it in contemporary terms, David was like the most advanced, special operations, elite-trained Navy Seal, with more kills to his credit than the entire army put together.  This guy was tough as nails, a man’s man, and a fierce warrior!  And yet, here he is saying to God that he’s like a little lamb that needs God’s comfort.  A warrior that runs on the fuel of comfort—God’s comfort. 

What are you turning to in order to comfort your soul?  We all need it, but are you getting the real thing?  God’s rod and staff comfort us.  That’s His correction and direction.  They produce lasting comfort and peace that can’t be imitated.  There’s a reason why the whisky maker called their drink Southern Comfort.  Humanity universally needs comfort, and without God’s supply, it’s an epidemic of pain, fear, and anxiety.  The extreme of emptiness is a heart without the Good Shepherd’s comfort.  This is an opening for all kinds of synthetic and fraudulent substitutes.  Children and adults are being prescribed all kinds of chemical shortcuts to a field that’s only an illusion, yes, a delusion. 

Today, you can let the Good Shepherd meet your needs abundantly.  Close your eyes and lift your voice, praying, Comfort me, Lord.  He will answer because He loves you.  He will meet you in a way that both blesses and surprises you.  Notice how His correction and direction will guide you into fields of golden peace and abiding comfort.  I’m excited for your future!