Day 26 · Week 4
Passage: Romans 12:15; Galatians 6:2
Memory Verse: Matthew 5:4
Romans 12:15 (KJV)
“Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.”
When someone is hurting, we often want to fix the problem.
Sometimes we can help. We can bring a meal, solve a practical problem, give advice when it is wanted, or provide something that is needed.
But some pain cannot be fixed by us.
What do we do then?
Paul gives a remarkably simple instruction: “weep with them that weep.”
Sometimes comfort means being present.
Job's friends actually did something right at the beginning of his suffering. They sat with him in silence for seven days because they saw that his grief was very great. Their trouble began when they decided they needed to explain why everything had happened.
We do not always need an explanation for another person's sorrow. We may not know why God allowed something, and we should be careful about speaking for Him when Scripture has not given us an answer.
We can listen. We can pray. We can sit beside someone. We can remind them that they are loved.
God often gives comfort through people who are willing to carry part of another person's burden.
What are some helpful things we can do when someone is hurting and we cannot fix the problem?
Think of someone who may be carrying a burden. Find one simple way to let that person know you care.
Ask God to make your family sensitive to the sorrow of others and wise enough to know when to speak, when to help, and when simply to listen.