The Upper Room Devotion for Tuesday, May 30, 2023, was written by Barbara Gail
Bliss of Colorado.
Scripture
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. 5 For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. 6 If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. 7 And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.
2 Corinthians 1:3-7 NIV
GOD’S COMFORT
I began having severe panic attacks in my mid-thirties. Within weeks I was admitted to a psychiatric hospital and diagnosed with bipolar disorder. I had no history of mental illness, so this experience was frightening. A great doctor, the right medications, and a change in diet stabilized my system but didn’t answer my deeper questions. Where was God, and what was my role in the healing process? I became more active in my church. I devoured scripture, and I looked for God everywhere. I kept a gratitude journal and learned to give thanks in all circumstances (1Thessalonians 5:18). I deepened my prayer life. My faith grew, and I sought to love and forgive others and myself more. Sixteen years later, God delivered me from fear.
God heals us, but not always in our time or on our terms. I still have bipolar disorder, but in Christ, my soul is more at peace than before my breakdown. I no longer have mood swings, and I’m defined more by my courage. My long journey through the wilderness prepared me to answer God’s call: “Comfort, comfort my people, says your God” (Isaiah 40:1 NIV). Other people’s struggles may differ from mine, but by offering the comfort I’ve received from God, I can help others find their own way home.
Thoughts
Friends,
When unexpected hardships come our way, how do we cope? Barbara’s reflection
offers us a glimpse into how she handled being diagnosed with a mental illness. On this
second to last day of May, the month designated as Mental Health Awareness month, I
invite you to take a moment to consider how you can encourage someone struggling
with a mental illness.
-Pastor Anthony
Prayer
Thank you, Lord, for the many ways you comfort us. By your grace, help us to extend
your comfort to others. Amen.
- Barbara Gail Bliss