Finding Comfort in God

THIS WEEK I went to the last two meetings of the School of Discipleship. That was interesting: we practiced debating in a small tournament, and my partner and I almost went to the finals. That was pretty cool.

What I want to show you this week pertains to something I saw during my quiet time on Thursday morning when I was at the School of Discipleship at Southpoint. I've started using a journal to record my quiet time: what I read and what my response is, what I pray for and what I want to memorize. It's very useful. If you don't keep a journal, I strongly suggest that you do, because it becomes a useful tool. Let me share with you what I read on Thursday morning:

2 Corinthians 7:10, "For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death." I read that chapter and this one verse stood out. I really did not understand it - well, I didn't understand the second half. The first part, about godly sorrow, means that it's very good to feel sadness when we realize we've been doing something that doesn't please God, because that sadness makes us repent and stop doing what we've been doing. So we learn from that kind of sorrow, and we grow in our relationship with God.

But the second kind of sorrow, the sorrow of the world, I did not understand. I knew it probably meant the sorrow we feel which does not lead to repentance, but I didn't understand why it led to death. You see, I was feeling really sad a few days this week. I won't go into why - it doesn't matter. Don't worry about me. I'm fine now because of what I read in God's word. But that's why this verse caught my attention.
It reminded me of Mary mourning at Jesus feet over the loss of her brother Lazarus (see John chapter 11), whom Jesus then resurrected. I thought, surely it's not a sin to be sad. That wouldn't make sense. It must mean something else for the sorrow of the world to lead to death. So I prayed that Jesus would help me to understand this, and help me He did.

I prayed that Jesus would help me not to dwell on what makes me sad, but to rejoice in Him, and to come to repentance when I'm sad because I've sinned. But my learning about this verse didn't end that morning.

I was sad that evening, too, so I looked in God's word for something to make me feel better. I saw Psalm 43, which consists of five little verses, the last of which blew me away.

Psalms 43:5, "Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; For I shall yet praise Him, the help of my countenance and my God." Do you see what this means? It means that when we're feeling really down, God gives us a reason to rejoice. When something or another hurts our feelings, all we must do is "hope in God," or find comfort by trusting that He is present and faithful to keep His promises. He has promised good things for those who wait on Him, those who serve Him and persist in trusting Him no matter what is going on in their lives. Continually He tells us not to worry, not to fear, for He will always be with us. Here are a few of the very many things Jesus says to comfort us:

Matthew 6:25-26, "[25] Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? [26] Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?"

John 10: 28-30, "[28] And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. [29] My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand. [30] I and My Father are one."

Matthew 10:18-20, "[18] You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. [19] But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; [20] For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you."

Matthew 28: 18-20, "[18] And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, 'All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. [19] Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, [20] teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.' Amen."

This week I heard several pieces of terrible news. Pastor Bryan Turner died soon after being hit by a car while he was giving out information about a Vacation Bible School. A pair of twins born early didn't make it. A very elderly couple were found dead in an elevator that got stuck between the second and third floors of their home. It's very hard to bear all the awful news that we hear in the world. But God doesn't want His people to be weighed down with sadness and pain. He stays near to comfort us right when we need it.

I know a song called "The Desert Song" by Hillsong which comes to mind when I read Psalm 43:5. Part of the song goes, "All of my life, in every season, You are still God, I have a reason to sing. I have a reason to worship." We should still praise Him, no matter whether we are inflated with joy or soaked in sorrow. He is still God, and He is still good. Another wonderful song is "Praise You in this Storm," one of my favorite songs by my favorite band, Casting Crowns. It goes, "I will praise You in this sotrm, and I will lift my hands. You are who You are, no matter where I am. And every tear I've cried, You hold in Your hand. You never left my side. And though my heart is torn, I will praise You in this storm." He is still the same praiseworthy God, still wonderful, still amazing, though we might not be able to see it through the tears in our eyes.

So what about 2 Corinthians 7:10? After reading Psalm 43:5 that night I understood a little better. It says that "the sorrow of the world produces death." This does not mean that it's a sin to have sad feelings. It means that it really does not help us, but rather it hurts us, to let sorrow (the kind that doesn't lead to repentance and salvation) flow through our lives and keep us from seeing all the good that our God brings to us. God gives us amazing joy - isn't it the greatest joy just to be loved by Him, to be cared for by Him? To know that He is the one thing we truly cannot live without, and the one thing we can be sure we'll never lose. This verse is encouragement not to live in sorrow, because God wants us to find joy and delight in Him as we follow Him and obey Him. The sorrow of the world is not a sin, but we nurture it and keep it in our hearts instead of seeking and finding peace and comfort in God, when it can fester and turn into things that are sins. Disappointment can turn into spite; hurt can turn into hate; sadness can turn into doubt, which unsettles the faith in many ways. If we trust in God and just calm down, knowing that He is the one thing that matters most and the one we can truly trust, He will strengthen us so that we can endure and come out stronger both emotionally and spiritually. He does this by giving us peace in knowing that He's got everything under control. Psalm 46:10 says, "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."

I'm glad I was blessed to see 2 Corinthians 7:10 and Psalm 43:5, because it shows me that God cares when we're feeling sad. It shows me that God Himself is the source of the best comfort. And He can even turn hard things into an opportunity to grow. I read in a book this week about a practice that shipbuilders used to use to prepare a tree for being turned into a mast for a ship. They would go to the top of a mountain and remove all the trees from around one particularly strong one. After a while when they would come back that tree would be so strengthened by having to face the harsh environment on top of the mountain, with no other trees for shelter, that it would be perfect as the important mast of a ship. Maybe that's what God is doing with you when you go through hard things in life. Just don't ever forget to praise Him, because He is endlessly faithful and good.

Please leave any comments that you would like to. Check back before next Sunday because I may have an extra post during the week to tell you all about a wonderful true story I heard on Wednesday.