March 23, 2003
Psalm 39:5-2
Psalm 91:1-4, 14-16
Where Do You Find Comfort?
We have an invitation to join the Psalmist and say,
“My Hope Is In God!” Hope is a powerful, spiritual force.
For it not only helps you to endure the circumstances you’re
living in, but hope carries with it a touch of joy! An expectation of
an unseen future with God! To hope is to live in a joyful expectation
of an unseen future with God! To hope is to live in a joyful
expectation. And, the greatest hope that you can have, is your hope in
God. For God is the blessedness in your life. He is the source of all
good things. The source of all blessings and He is eternally faithful
to you.
Maybe you are one who says, Yeah, that sounds good,
but what about my circumstance, I don’t feel so good right now.
How can I find hope for the pain and suffering going on today? We live
with pain and suffering going on around us daily and especially now,
with our country at war.
But listen to the Psalmist. My lifetime is as
nothing in thy sight, surely every man goes about as a shadow.
Can’t you see and understand, that the people of the Bible looked
at life as a wisp of the night and just like us, they questioned all
their efforts and their labors. None of them were free to live the way
they’d liked to live. Is there any of you here who truly believes
you are free from suffering and pain and sin? Yet, the people of the
Bible call out to us, to join them and say, my hope is in the God of
all creation.
But even before this affirmation of hope in God, we
wonder, what is there to look for or wait for or seek for in our
situation? What can cheer us up, or console us or gladden our hearts,
or comfort us in the mist of our pain and suffering? What kind of
comfort are you looking for? Something that you can depend on to ease
the pain and bring comfort? I’ve known some people who look to
pills or excessive drinking and they may find temporary relief for a
while, but when it wears off, you’re back to the same problems
and fears and pain. We need more than temporary relief and comfort. We
need help. We need redemption. Remember the Psalmist, My Hope is in
God. God offers Himself to us and comforts us because we matter to Him.
And let’s not forget that most of us seek
comfort from those who are close to us. A friend, a family member,
someone who will be there for us. One we can depend on. Well,
you’re lucky if you have such a friend. But they’re just
one more comfort and that’s good. We can and should comfort each
other and help each other when needed to be there for each other.
But, we’re only human and have our
limitations. In a moment we can be taken away from each other and be
left alone. Asking what do I do now? Where do I go for comfort? Feeling
a sense of loss and hopelessness, and then comes the Psalmist! Our hope
is in God. Giving us a secure and comfortable feeling about ourselves.
Helping us handle our problems and circumstances that hinder our joyful
relationship with God. Until we acknowledge who God really is to us, we
discover that He is the One that never forgets us or abandons us.
Even though we forget and abandon Him from time to
time. He is the One who is present and working in our life for the
better. The One that says whether you listen or not, “Come unto
me and I will give you rest. With me there is comfort and not only
comfort, but hope. I am your keeper and redeemer. I invite you to hope
in me,” God says. Will you respond to His invitation to you? Is
your heart moved to say, “Yes, God, I believe somehow that my
life is tied with Yours. You are the God and creator of all people and
you are my God and my Lord.” And whether I love you or not, or
honor you or not, it’s your will to bound together with me. So,
my life is in your hands, even though I may not deserve it. You tell
me, you’ve given me your Son Jesus Christ to be my brother and He
is my justification, my peace, my joy and my salvation.
Jesus did not look for comforts or cheer me ups,
but He relied on you God, He trusted you God, and He obeyed You through
all the discomforts of this human life. And on behalf of all humanity,
even on our behalf, He turned to you and said, it for all of us, I hope
in you.
We hope in God and receive comfort from God,
because Jesus put His hope in God. Through Jesus your hope counts. So,
won’t you dare to believe that the words that Jesus spoke on your
behalf count for you? Well, keep on believing and trusting and live in
God’s light and walk on sold ground instead of shaky uncertain
ground.
For in Jesus we have hope and our hope gives us the
comfort we need from God. For the great comfort is belonging with all
our heart and all our souls to our Lord and our Savior Jesus Christ.
He is for you, He is for me, and He will carry all
of us through it all. So, hold on to Christ, the hope that really
counts, that sees us through the storms ahead.
Our life is bound up with God ad we are in His
hands and He will not forsake us or leave us along. So, we need to
listen to each other with our heart and remember we are living in
God’s presence and to share our hope with those around us. The
world needs us to share His light of Hope and joy for living.
He’s got everybody here in His hands,
He’s got everybody there in His hands, He’s got the whole
world in His hands.
We know who we belong to, our hope is in God, for a
better future. That for a better future, because peace begins with us.
