COVID-19 Devotional: Discomfort

God in discomfort? You bet. Our own Camryn Croley helps us see how in our latest COVID-19 Devotional.

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Hey guys! I’m Camryn from Royal Servants mission trips. I don’t know about you, but this “COVID season” hasn’t been the most comfortable season for me. There have been so many uncertainty, bad news, canceled plans, and little things like going to Target for no reason or hanging out with our friends just stopping. I don’t particularly like discomfort, and I have found that since I don’t really enjoy being uncomfortable, I try to lessen it or avoid it.

The problem with that is sometimes our comfort isn’t the best for us. I’ve been thinking a lot about different times in the Bible where we see people following God and experiencing uncomfortable situations. I mean just think about some of the situations Scripture talks about people being put in. There were years of imprisonment in a foreign country for Joseph, a raging sea in front of the Israelites with Pharaoh’s army behind them, a sleep over with lions for Daniel, a call to leave everything they knew for the disciples. Not one of those things fall in what I would consider my comfort zone. But, I love each and every one of these stories. I love them for the ways we see God walk with His people through hard things and the ways we see Him use those situations to make His people look more like Him.

See, what I’m learning about our comfort zones is they often become this sort of wall around our hearts. We are less likely to see the needs of others and our need for God when we are surrounded by things that keep us comfortable. Discomfort on the other hand, does the exact opposite. It has a way of breaking those walls down. It is why in these moments of Corona virus craziness we hear the stories of people checking in on their neighbors for the first time ever and giving their last roll of treasured toilet paper to an elderly couple that they normally would have passed by without a glance. When we experience discomfort and we invite God into it with us, I think He often uses it to soften our hearts.

In John 16:33 we are promised that things are going to trouble us. But in that same verse, we are also promised peace in Him and hope knowing that He has overcome all of it. I think we can hold the discomfort and sadness of things we are missing and more importantly hold the hope Christ gives us. We can hold the hope that even in these moments that we don’t love, He is doing a work in us to make us more like Him. We can hold the comfort and peace that comes from knowing He is with us in even the most uncomfortable situations. So, I would challenge you to think about the things right now that are making you uncomfortable and how you are responding to them. Let this season of unknown and uncomfortable soften your heart towards those around you and more importantly towards God.

Further Study:

Genesis 45:3-11, Numbers 14:1-4

• How did Joseph view his situation?
• Right before the Numbers passage, God had led the Israelites out of Egypt and provided for them in the desert. These verses show their response after seeing the size of the people living in the land God promised them. Do you think they were trusting God to lead them through the discomfort they were facing?
• What do you think made Joseph’s response to his situation different than that of the Israelites?

Lamentations 3:19-25

• When you experience discomfort, where do you place your hope?
• Can you call to mind a time you stepped out of your comfort zone and saw God’s faithfulness?
• How are you filling this time? Are you seeking Him and what He has for you or are you seeking to avoid the discomfort?

Worship Songs:
Faithfulness by Matt Maher

Rest in You by All Sons and Daughters

Jesus is Better by Austin Stone Worship

Rest in You by All Sons and Daughters

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Originally Published May 4, 2020