comfort – Lamp and Light

By Jason Smith

“The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.” (Psalm 34:18)

These are tumultuous times. Many are facing job loss or financial difficulties. Weddings and other pivotal gatherings and events have been canceled. Countless are confused, angry, and anxious about the future.

The number of confirmed cases of Coronavirus across the globe just passed 395,000 as I write this, with 17,252 deaths worldwide. The constant refrain in the news seems to be: “The world is a mess!” The ground beneath our feet seems to be cracking and crumbling. So, what can be done about this growing uncertainty?

Now, more than ever, we as a people need to turn to God’s written revelation. The Bible was given to us for all times, and especially for times like this. We need to know that God has not left us alone during this crisis.

When we face unprecedented challenges, we must see God reaching out to us in love. In fact, God gave us a psalm to address unsettled hearts in times of crisis.

Psalm 34 begins with the author David committing in his heart to praise the God over all in every circumstance: “I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth” (v. 1). God’s honor is not an afterthought for David. It isn’t an “if time allows” item on the agenda. He understands that the right response to crises is to worship the Lord who made us. But why?

Worshiping God: The Real Solution to Times of Crisis

Because we were designed for worship of our Creator, our hearts are most settled and at peace when we are reverently adoring Him for the God He is. When we can worship God in a crisis, we can know that we truly do love Him, not merely the blessings He bestows on us.

Job is known as the righteous sufferer of the Old Testament. Probably only a handful of people have faced more trials than him. He lost nearly all his livestock and possessions to thieves and a wildfire (1:14-17). His children died when a whirlwind caused the house they were in to collapse on them (1:18-19). Then, painful, puss-filled boils covered his entire skin (7:5; 30:17). His wife told him to blaspheme God and find a hole to die in (Job 2:9). And, lastly, his closest friends seemed to think he must have sinned horribly (8:2-7). Oh, and on top of everything else, did I mention he also had a severe case of halitosis – bad breath (19:17)? All this, despite the fact that Job “was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil” (Job 1:1).

So, what was Job’s response to this horrendous anguish he faced? He shaved his head, fell to his knees, and worshiped God. Yes, you read that correctly. Job cried out, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD” (v. 21). This likely seems strange to many readers. Shame, misery, and grief lead him into a worship session? What’s going on here?

Job understood something we often miss. The book’s author tells us what that was at the very beginning: Job feared God (v. 1). Because Job feared God, he understood that He was the Author of life, the only One deserving worship, and the only One we should rely on during times of upheaval. When everything in our lives seems disrupted, we need to rely on the Rock who does not change. “For He is the living God and He endures forever” (Daniel 6:26).

A host of solutions have been proposed in dealing with the current crisis. Some of these are good, but many may not be. Ultimately, they are not the decisive measures that can calm our hearts. Only turning in heart-filled worship to the “Father of mercies and God of all comfort” will give us the supernatural peace we’re all craving right now (2 Corinthians 1:3). “Taste and see that the LORD is good!” (Psalm 34:8).

God Hears Our Prayers and Sends His Angels

Listen to what David said: “I sought the LORD, and He answered me and delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to Him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed” (Psalm 34:4-5). When all is said and done, the question will not be: Did we survive the pandemic? Ultimately, no one gets out of this life alive! The question, rather, will be: In the midst of the pandemic, where did we turn for security? I don’t know about you, but I want to be included among those whom David describes as “radiant” and full of God’s love and peace, not dreading each day with fists clenched tightly.

I love what David says next, because it fits with the financial uncertainty we’re facing: “This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him and saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him, and delivers them” (vv. 6-7).

Our tendency in economically volatile times is to look down at our assets, accounts, and accruals. God says, “Lift your eyes up here. My angel will bring perfect peace to you who fix your eyes on Me.” Then David says something that could be baffling: “Oh, fear the LORD, you His saints, for those who fear Him have no lack! The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing” (vv. 9-10).

What exactly is this psalm promising us? This isn’t a blank check promise that as long as you ask God, you’ll always get what you want. No, it’s meant to be a statement of assurance to those who feel deprived of what they normally can count on. Come what may, for those who seek the Lord, they will find true contentment in Him. They will “lack no good thing” (v. 10).

God Will See You Through to the Very End

“The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit” (v. 18). This is the statement Psalm 34 seems to be building toward. It calls us to worship the Lord (v. 1). It assures that He hears our every prayer (v. 17). Then, it tells us what we most need to hear: God hasn’t forgotten about you in the midst of this crisis (v. 18). He is so close, in fact, that you can feel his presence right there with you when you quiet your heart.

Elizabeth Elliot, who experienced deep suffering and loss in her life, wrote, “When our souls lie barren in a winter which seems hopeless and endless, God has not abandoned us. His work goes on. He asks our acceptance of the painful process and our trust that He will indeed give resurrection life.”[1]

Psalm 34 ends with a warning and a promise. Many will fall to affliction and cast bitter aspersions on those who seek the Lord (v. 21), but ultimately those who take refuge in the Lord will find ultimate salvation with Him (v. 22). No matter what crises or afflictions come our way in this life, we can be sure that those who trust in the resurrected Lord, Jesus Christ, will also be granted a resurrected life where death is but a distant memory.

If you know your destination, you won’t be lost on the journey. He will see you through to the very end.

[1] Elizabeth Elliot, A Path Through Suffering (Ann Arbor, MI: Servant Publications, 1990), 43.

By Jason Smith

“I form light and create darkness,
I make well-being and create calamity,
I am the LORD, who does all these things.” (Isaiah 45:5-7)

Just how sovereign is the God of the Bible? When one considers the endless stream of chaos, violence, and injustice reported on both local and national news stations, it could be very hard to believe that God really is in control.

The Bible describes God as infinitely loving, righteous, and good (Psalm 34:8; 145:17; 1 John 4:8). In fact, Scripture reminds us that if there is one thing we can absolutely count on, it is that every single good thing we have has come to us from the loving hand of our Father in heaven (James 1:17). Friendship. Love. Family. Income. Health. A loving community of believers. The food in our stomach. The mocha I drank this morning. The car I drove to work in. Even the seemingly insignificant trivialities in life that brighten my day. They all come to me as undeserved gifts from a Father who delights to shower me with His love. This is important for me to remember, because apart from God’s grace, I would quickly lapse into the worst kind of pessimism.

That being said, what are we to make of all this evil and perversity in a world run by a good and holy God? In light of all the suffering in the world, atheists such as Richard Dawkins frequently say the burden of proof is on those who claim an all-powerful deity exists. Psalm 115:2 says that the nations may taunt, “Where is their God?” But our response will always be, “Our God is in heaven and does as He pleases” (v. 3). However, if we are honest, we can admit it is sometimes difficult to see this.

Repeatedly, Scripture reminds us of God’s all-pervasive sovereignty. “The Lord has established His throne in the heavens, and His sovereignty rules over all” (Psalm 103:19, NASB). “The Most High rules over the kingdom of men and gives it to whom He will and sets over it the lowliest of men” (Daniel 4:17). In fact, God’s sovereign control is so meticulous that every roll of a dice or flip of a coin is determined by Him (see Proverbs 16:33). Thus, God decides the outcome of every NFL game that goes to overtime.

Why So Much Suffering?

But the question remains: If God really is in total control, why is the world so filled with evil and suffering? Upon a moment’s reflection, one can see that this is a tragedy-stricken world. We see bitter racism, hostile international aggression, lawsuits filed between those who once professed undying love for each other, and terrible diseases afflicting little babies. How are we to make sense of this conundrum? This question quickly flees the realm of the theoretical when either you or someone you love is struck by grief, tragedy, or betrayal.

In the biblical worldview, we are reminded that all suffering, disease, and death is the result of Adam’s fall into sin (see Romans 5:12). Although he was one man, that rebellion had a cataclysmic effect on all creation. We may downplay the seriousness of sin, but it always has consequences that extend even to the creation we inhabit. The natural world is subject to frustration, in “bondage to corruption,” and “groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now” (Romans 8:20-22). Adam led the way, but by extension, the whole human race is described as being in revolt against our Maker, suppressing the truth that He is righteous and we are not (Romans 1:18-21; 3:10).

It is into this broken world that God sent His dearly beloved Son to suffer alongside us as a human being and ultimately bear the infinite debt we owed for opposing God’s design and purpose, so that we might be totally forgiven and reconciled to Him (2 Corinthians 5:18-21). God loved us even when we hated Him (Romans 5:8-11). Jesus, the God-man, can “sympathize with our weaknesses,” pain, and frustrations, because He lived as one of us, “yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15). In other words, God has proven through the cross that He has not abandoned us. Because of Christ’s atoning work, one day He will usher in a new creation where there will be no more pain, tears, or death (Revelation 21:1-5). We must cling to this unspeakably precious truth. At this point, you may be thinking, That is all true, but what about the suffering we still have to deal with today?

“I Am Yahweh, Who Does All These Things”

Many have proposed the solution is admitting God’s limited ability or knowledge, but Scripture everywhere rules that out.[1] Apparently, our comfort in suffering cannot be that God tried His best, but was simply unaware or unable to do anything about it. Remarkably, God often emphasizes the extent of His sovereignty in the very context in which the most heinous evil is described (see Genesis 45:5-8; 50:15-20; Acts 2:22-23; 4:27-28). Isaiah makes this very point when he quotes God declaring how He will equip the ungodly King Cyrus to accomplish His purpose.

“I am the LORD, and there is no other,
besides me there is no God;
I equip you, though you do not know me,

that people may know, from the rising of the sun
and from the west, that there is none besides me;
I am the LORD, and there is no other.

I form light and create darkness,
I make well-being and create calamity,
I am the LORD, who does all these things.” (Isaiah 45:5-7)

Notice God intentionally describes the full spectrum over which He has control: “I form light and create darkness, I make well-being and create calamity, I am the LORD, who does all these things” (v. 7). The Hebrew word for “calamity” is ra (רָע) , which is most often translated “evil.” Although we may hesitate to credit God with having perfect control over all evil, our Lord is not. God seems to be going out of His way in Isaiah 45:5-7 to declare His sovereignty in all its fullness. Both good and evil occur according to His providential will. God is obviously not the direct cause of evil — He is spotless and holy. Nevertheless, He indirectly permits every instance of evil. If He did not, He would not really be sovereign. In fact, if something happened outside of His control, He would not truly be Yahweh, the God of Scripture. That is the whole point of saying, “I am Yawheh, and there is no other. I form light and create darkness; I make well-being and create calamity; I am Yawheh, who does all these things” (vv. 6b-7). God is the one who purposefully “works all things according to the counsel of His will” while nevertheless remaining perfectly righteous in all His ways (Ephesians 1:11).

The Greatest Comfort in Suffering

So, what’s the point? Just this: there is untold comfort in knowing and believing that God really is in control over all of creation. When pain and suffering rock our world, we can easily feel like we are drowning in a current of chaotic emotions. Fighting desperately to keep our head above water, we can struggle to believe that God is even real in those moments. Isaiah says Yahweh is a God who at times seems to hide Himself (Isaiah 45:15).

However paradoxical it may seem initially, the thing that will bring us the most hope and solace in the midst of our suffering is the reality of God’s absolute control – the truth that nothing can ultimately thwart His sovereign will. No matter how many times we get knocked to the ground, we can know that our King is never knocked off His throne. That is why we can trust Him when He says, “Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other” (v. 22). This is not a provisional salvation, but an assured “everlasting salvation” (v. 17). If God truly is sovereign, then we can bank on His promise to use every instance of evil in our life to bring about His good purposes. We can be certain that our suffering is not meaningless. “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). Perhaps no truth is more comforting while we walk through pain and suffering than knowing that in the midst of all the chaos and confusion, God is working for our ultimate good and His everlasting glory.

Obviously, His moral will can be resisted by His rebellious creatures.[2] We’re not merely pawns on the cosmic chessboard, but free moral agents who are responsible for the choices we make. Yet, even this is only because He, the omnipotent Creator, allows us to go our own way. God’s providential plan for the universe — even His meticulous sovereignty — can never be thwarted by human evil. Think of it: He can even choose to rescue His people through a wicked man like Cyrus, who doesn’t even know Him (Isaiah 45:1, 4-5). That is why He is a God worthy of our total allegiance and worship (v. 23).

When suffering afflicts us, we are often surprised by it, but God never is surprised by our suffering. And that is the truth that will be our lifeline pulling us through the agony of hardship.

[1] “Ah, Lord GOD! It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you” (Jeremiah 32:17; also see v. 27; Matthew 19:26; Luke 1:37). “Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O LORD, you know it altogether” (Psalm 139:4; also see Jeremiah 23:24; Daniel 2:22; Matthew 6:4).

[2] Think of any time we break one of the Ten Commandments, which are an expression of His holy will for human life.

Lamp and Light

Tag: comfort

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