A few years ago I received some very confronting news which in all honesty, broke my heart. I don’t think I’d ever been so confronted up until that time, and even as I write, just the thought of such sadness still makes my tummy turn.
As I think about what happened next however, again the same feelings flow, but this time feelings of amazement, awe, gratitude, significance, love. I guess that’s what I feel every time God speaks to me like He did back then, but seriously, can you imagine what it would be like to be in the midst of such sorrow and have the words, ”Psalms 34:18″ come into your head. Okay, so I didn’t know what Psalms 34:18 said at the time either 
but when I opened my Bible and found, “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves those crushed in spirit,” my pain was somehow muted. I instantly had hope.
This is the kind of comfort Peta Hay will be speaking about during her sermon at Chatswood Church tomorrow. The kind of comfort that Isaiah 61:3 talks about – a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair! If you can’t be with us tomorrow in person, love to see you back here when the video goes up in a week or two. Until then, “Blessed are they that mourn, for they will be comforted.” (Matthew 5:4)
