“He named him Noah and said, “He will comfort us in the labor and painful toil of our hands caused by the ground the LORD has cursed.” Genesis 5:29 (NIV)
In Lamech’s time, society had become violent and wicked. All around his family, danger and pain flourished. Each day, he prayed for rest and comfort, but things grew worse not better. Eventually, he became a father and due to his constant desire for relief from pain and suffering, Lamech named his son, Noah, which means “rest.” Then, he confidently asserted that Noah would bring comfort to his world. What an idea! Noah would reach up to heaven and bring comfort to the earth. It was a marvelous thought to consider.
Lamech is typical of us. We are confronted everyday by contemporary wickedness and pain. And whether we are confronted by it in a small, private way or in the vast world news, we desire to be relieved. We want rest and comfort. And, just like Lamech we tend to assert our confidence that we will be comforted. But, Noah only brought a limited comfort to his world. Only eight souls were comforted. Yet Noah’s descendant, Jesus Christ, provides unlimited comfort. We are comforted by His sacrifice. We are comforted by His resurrection. We are comforted by the One He sent back to comfort us in his absence. And we are comforted by His promised return. “My comfort in my suffering is this: Your promise preserves my life” (Psa 119:50 NIV).
Dear Father, thank you for the comfort that Christ provides. Grant to us the comfort of his salvation. Enable us to live everyday confident of His return to deliver us from this world. This I pray in the name of Jesus. AMEN.
Be encouraged today in Christ’s comfort,
