A Mother Comforts
A God Who Comforts Like a Mother
As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you. Isaiah 66:13
Can you imagine yourself as the child in this picture, being comforted so well by a loving mother? Held close by a strong shoulder?
In this tender verse, God responds to the Israelites who were in exile, humiliated, and had lost their security. The verse is God's expression of His desire to relieve their distress and fear.
God is not only their Savior, but also their Comforter, and He gives women a unique ability to reflect this much-needed attribute.
His comfort is in His presence, just as a mother comforts her child by her presence.
The verse also focuses on God's tenderness, likened to a mother who intimately comforts her child, holding her close, soothing fear, and reassuring her.
You may have a picture in your mind of a time your own mother gently comforted you, and you may even recall the relief you felt when that happened. If you have not had that experience with your mother, then know that God offers this kind of comfort to you in your distress, fear, or loss.
He wants to tenderly hold you as you "go through the valley of the shadow of death" or any other suffering.
God equips women to sense emotional pain even before others speak it and gives them an instinct to comfort. When a woman does this, she is expressing a beautiful and divine attribute of God's own heart.
But the child must be open to being comforted by a mother or by God. So often, we opt for control and independence, pulling back from God's comfort.
Just as a mother wants her child to join her for comfort, so too God desires you and me to come to His side, where He can hold us close.
Reflection
In what area of your life do you need God's comfort today?
Questions to explore in Scripture and take to the Lord in prayer:
What does Isaiah 66:13 mean?
How does God comfort us like a mother?
What does the Bible say about God’s comfort?
How is a mother’s comfort similar to God’s love?