I don't know if you realize this or not, but you just sang the sermon this morning.
Far more eloquent and far more uplifting, I'm sure, than my inadequate words, but what
a rich time of just being settled, reminded of the wonder of God, the hope that we have
in Him, and the comfort that He desires to bring to us through His Son and through relationship
with Him.
Well, I don't know about any of you.
Would any of you, I'm not looking for a show of hands, just check your own heart, how many
of you would say you excel at compassion?
Or how many of you would say that comfort is your key spiritual quality, your key spiritual
gift?
I think even for the best of us in this room, my guess is that when you're wronged, there
isn't just a little hint of justice in you, in wanting to get a little vengeance, perhaps,
on that individual who's hurt you in some way.
As I was thinking about this for myself, one vivid activity or event kind of flared up or
flashed up in my mind, and it happened while I was in California.
See, in the early 2000s, I was living in Southern California, about 30 miles away from the Master's
Seminary.
And so in order to get to the seminary, there was one of two options.
I could either drive a car and fight the traffic there and back, which would be about an hour
both ways, sometimes as much as two hours both ways, or I could hop on a motorcycle and take
my life in my own hands and split lanes there and back, which means that you're allowed to
drive between the cars.
That's actually legal in California.
And do it in half the time so that instead of a four-hour chunk or block of time, it was
somewhere around, you know, an hour and a half there and back.
So I chose option number two.
Well, you know, God was just really gracious to me, but in one specific instance, I was
getting onto the 101, heading southbound back to my home, and I was just next to Universal
Studios going up the hill.
And if you understand, the highways or freeways in California are five lanes both directions.
And in addition, there were two lanes that were merging.
I was in the number one and number two lane, actually between the two, splitting lanes going
down in rush hour traffic.
And it was bumper to bumper, and the person ahead of me didn't like the fact that I was
going to be getting ahead of him.
Right?
He sees this motorcycle kind of cutting up between the cars, and so he decides that because
this is not fair, and he's got to wait in traffic, that I should wait too.
So he kind of crowds me out and comes and hugs that center lane so I can't get by.
Well, fortunately, the car next to him decides to move over and give me a little space, and
I'm going to take it.
So I begin to take this space, and as I'm looking over at this car, I notice that in the driver's
seat is this young teenage...
I was going to say punk, but I shouldn't say punk.
Bad word.
There you go.
You see?
There's my flesh coming out.
There it is.
This young teenage juvenile, and just imagine, okay, he is sitting back in his seat, arm extended,
and he's got this leather jacket.
He's looking back at me.
You know what's going on in his head, okay?
Well, I make my way by, and there's just a little chuckle in my heart because I know
he's got to wait.
I get right on his front bumper, and then all of a sudden, boom!
He runs into the car ahead of him because he was paying attention to me and not paying
attention to the traffic patterns that were taking place in his lane.
Now, for someone, again, who is a little fleshly, there was this flash of vindication in my heart.
Justice!
Ha-ha!
He got what he deserved.
Serves him right.
Now, what was not going through my mind was, oh, I should pull over and make sure he's okay.
I should pull over and make sure that everyone is doing fine in this situation.
No, for me, it was, ha-ha!
I'm out of here.
See you later.
Well, fortunately, that's my heart, but that is not the heart of our God.
The heart of our God is a heart of overflowing compassion for people.
And here we come to Isaiah chapter 40.
That's where we're going to be this morning.
And what we find in Isaiah chapter 40 is this dramatic transition that has taken place.
If you remember in our study, you remember that the first 39 chapters of Isaiah dealt with this holy God,
with this righteous, unwavering standard,
who is addressing his corrupt and ungodly people
and seeks to call their heart to the unchangeable and unwavering standard.
He confronts them and rebukes them with their wickedness.
He even challenges their corrupt worship,
working through and moving through the superficiality of worship,
this veneer that had coated their heart,
thinking that perhaps they were doing things that made God happy
when in fact they had made him hurt and sorrowful and grieving over their sin.
You would expect that a God who had been so gracious with his people leading up to that point would say,
it is over.
I am through.
It is done.
But we come to chapter 40 and we see not what we would expect,
but we see the gracious, comforting, glorious God
who desires to show up and to give his people comfort.
Look with me, if you will, to Isaiah chapter 40.
And I just want to open with the first few words as an introduction to our study this morning.
Isaiah chapter 40.
Let me just read the first couple of verses
to give us a path into this study today.
It says,
Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.
Speak tenderly to Jerusalem and cry to her heart.
Excuse me.
Cry to her that her warfare is ended,
that her iniquity is pardoned,
that she has received from the Lord's hand double for all of her sins.
This morning I want to look at comfort.
That really is the anthem,
not only of Isaiah chapter 40,
but becomes this anthem throughout the rest of the book.
From chapters 40 all the way to chapter 66,
we see this comforting hand and comforting heart of God
that seeks to come to his people
and to minister to them in a tangible and physical and emotional and spiritual way.
Wants to deal with them in every aspect of life
and lead them to true comfort.
And that's what we see here.
And so as we look at comfort this morning,
I want us to ask some questions this morning.
And I want to begin with this question.
And the question is, why does comfort come?
Why do we have the option for comfort in the first place?
Why is it available to us?
Well, we see here in the very first verse,
and in the verses that follow,
what we're going to find is that this chapter is separated out into stages of proclamation.
The first stage of proclamation there in verse 1
is the stage of proclamation where God is initiating comfort.
Because it is God's desire for his people.
So why does comfort come?
Well, comfort comes initially because it is God's desire for you.
God wants you to know and enjoy his comfort.
He says, comfort my people.
He says, a voice is crying.
I want, again, to get your attention.
We've seen this a number of times throughout our study already,
that the repeating of the words and the repeating of the command
is to draw emphasis to the urgency of God
in seeking to bring to his people something that they lack.
And now their heart needs to be ministered to.
Their lives need to be touched by something outside of them,
something that only God can bring,
the comfort that only comes from him,
and comfort that comes because that is God's desire for them.
Everything that follows in this chapter
is because of the initiating comfort of God.
We have comfort because the God of all comfort
has made comfort accessible.
It shows up for you.
You can have it for yourself
because God has chosen to make it available.
Now, certainly we look for comfort in a lot of different venues,
a lot of different places,
but make no mistake, comfort can only be found in him.
So if you need comfort this morning,
don't waste your time looking anywhere else.
Comfort is available to you,
but comfort can only be found in him.
There is no true comfort apart from him.
And so we can't find comfort apart from him.
And he wants to give it to us.
There is this eagerness of God
to let us participate in this comfort that he gives to us,
that he makes available to us.
One might think that Israel had exhausted all of their opportunities.
One might think that they had used up
all of the grace that was available to them,
but we find yet again here God showing up to say,
you haven't moved too far away.
Comfort is still available to you.
God's desire for their comfort that we find here
in this first phrase that initiates the rest of this study
through this chapter.
He renews his covenant love for them.
We have access to comfort
because he yearns for us to enjoy it.
Second, we see that comfort comes
because of a pardoning God.
God chooses to forgive.
First, God desires comfort for you.
And second, God chooses to forgive.
We sang about that earlier in our worship together.
We have a pardoning God.
He chooses to forgive.
You know, a common misconception about comfort
is that comfort is all about how I feel.
Comfort is about an attitude.
Comfort is about making me feel accepted.
It's about something that is relational for sure,
but it's more external in nature.
What God wants the people of Israel to understand
is that although there are some external components to comfort,
what God is really interested in
is not the external
so much as he's interested in the entire life,
the entire person,
the core person that you are.
He doesn't care so much about the externals.
He cares about your heart.
He cares about everything in your life.
He wants to change it all.
And so, in showing up in terms of comfort,
he needs to correct the initial
and he needs to correct the thing
that corrupts comfort in your heart,
that disrupts it to the very core,
and that is the sin that gets in the way
of your enjoyment of fellowship with the God of comfort.
If God is comfort and comfort only comes through him,
then your sin always gets in the way
of you enjoying true and lasting comfort
that God would seek to provide for you.
So, if he's going to clear the way for comfort to come in
and to pour into your life,
it needs to happen through pardoning,
through forgiving,
through cleansing.
God deals with the real issues of life.
He's not so interested with the externals
as much as he is interested with the core parts
of who you are.
As we read this language,
he says in verse 2,
look with me,
it says,
speak tenderly to Jerusalem.
And the Hebrew actually says,
speak to their heart.
Make a heart connection with them.
Let them know that I'm interested
at the deepest levels of who they are.
Let her know that her warfare is ended,
that her iniquity is pardoned.
Notice,
and maybe unless you're an English major,
notice the passive aspect of these words.
Her iniquity is pardoned.
It's done by another party.
We are participants.
We enjoy the aspects of activity outside of us.
And every time this word is used in the Old Testament
in a passive way,
it's always dealing with the offering of blood.
It's always dealing with what God is doing
through the sacrifices
and through the blood sacrifices
to forgive and to pardon sin.
To deal with the punishment
that comes as a result of sin,
the consequences of sin.
Blood is the only way for that to be dealt with.
But make no mistake,
Israel was never going to be able
to atone for their sins
through the sacrificial system.
If you keep your finger in Isaiah chapter 40
and turn with me back to chapter 1,
we'll be able to see
at the very onset of this book
how God feels about their sacrifices.
Look with me at verse 11.
Isaiah chapter 1, verse 11.
It says,
So what is God talking about?
What kind of pardoning is available?
And if the offering of blood and goats
and lambs and bulls is not sufficient,
what offering is it going to take?
And as we'll look at in a few weeks from now,
in pointing forward to the perfect servant
who will come and offer the perfect sacrifice,
we come to understand in Isaiah chapter 53
what that sacrifice will look like
and who that sacrifice will be.
He was despised and rejected by men,
a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.
Surely he has borne our grieves
and carried our sorrows,
yet we esteemed him stricken,
smitten by God and afflicted,
but he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities.
Upon him,
the chastisement
was the chastisement
that brought us peace
and with his wounds
we are healed.
Pardoning happens because
of a perfect sacrifice.
God initiates comfort,
he offers it to his people,
and then he makes a way
for it to be experienced
through pardoning,
through his son,
through the perfect sacrifice.
That's the only way.
For pardoning and comfort
to happen
through the means of Christ.
So God makes it available to us.
He has a desire
for his people to experience it.
He's made a way
through forgiveness.
And he's also made a way,
as we'll find here
in the second part of verse 2,
he's made a way through discipline.
God chooses to discipline.
Now,
maybe you're asking the question,
that doesn't sound like comfort to me.
Being disciplined
isn't something
that I find very comforting.
I don't find that
very reassuring
to be quite honest with you.
How in the world
can discipline
and comfort
go together?
Well,
the reason
that comfort
and discipline
go together
is because
comfort
of God
shows up
through
his love for us
in not letting us
get away
with the sin
that we are
so easily beset by.
Rather than
continuing
to wander
down the path
without consequence,
God seeks
to get our attention,
help us to see
the bankruptcy
of the path
that we're on,
corrects us
through discipline
so that we can
enjoy the real
value of him
and be truly
satisfied by
the things
that make us
truly satisfied.
He gets in the way
so that we can
enjoy him
instead of enjoying
all of the other things
that we tend
to fill our life with.
But the other question
is this,
and as I was
looking at
this verse,
I had to scratch
my head a little bit
and ask this question.
It says,
she has received
from the Lord's hand
double
for all of her sins.
She has received
from the Lord's hand
double
for all of her sins.
What in the world
is going on here?
Is this to suggest
that forgiveness
and payment
go hand in hand?
Is this a statement
of God
that he finds
some fairness
in exacting
some sort of
retribution
on us
and only when
we've paid
double
that he will then
forgive us
for our sins?
What we find here
and what we find
throughout
the book of Isaiah
is
this is
the code
language
for God
saying
it's enough.
They have
paid enough.
My purposes
for discipline
have been accomplished.
The thing
that I intended
to do
because
of this
hard
discipline
in their life
has served
its purpose
and the purpose
is to call
attention to me,
to call them
to me
as the
God who alone
can bring
comfort.
We understand
that sin
against an
eternal God
requires
eternal
consequences.
We understand
that and so
Israel could
never begin
to pay
even a
fraction
of what they
owed to an
eternal God.
That they could
go through
an eternity
without having
paid up
the debt
that they owed
because of the
sin
that they
had incurred
in their
lives.
No,
what God
is talking
about here
is that
what has
happened
to their
life
to bring
discipline
and judgment
into their
lives
has served
its purpose
to call
attention
to me.
It has
done what
I intended
it to do.
Throughout
the book
of Isaiah
and if you
still have
your finger
there in
Isaiah
chapter 1
you can
see the
whole point
of discipline
here in
this chapter.
Isaiah
chapter 1
beginning in
verse 24
it says
this
therefore
the Lord
declares
the Lord
of hosts
the mighty
one of
Israel
I will
get relief
from my
enemies
and avenge
myself
on my
foes
I will
turn my
hand
against
you
and will
smelt
away
your
dross
as with
lye
and remove
all your
alloy
and I
will restore
your judges
as the
first
and your
counselors
at the
beginning
afterwards
you shall
be called
the city
of righteousness
the faithful
city
discipline
is the
purging
instrument
of God
to get
the attention
of his
people
and to
draw them
again to
himself
to help
them
understand
the bankruptcy
of where
they are
how it has
separated them
from God
and to draw
them back
to what
truly matters
to draw
them back
to himself
this is
the mercy
of God
this is
the grace
of God
to stand
in the way
of sin
to get
our attention
through discipline
and to call
us back
to him
if we were
to look
at Romans
chapter 1
we would
see that
judgment
is to
do the
opposite
the judgment
of God
is actually
to let us
continue
to carry
out
the bankruptcy
of our
heart
without ever
calling attention
to it
listen to this
language
from Romans
chapter 1
it says
although they
knew God
they did not
glorify him
as God
nor were they
thankful
but they
became futile
in their
thoughts
their foolish
hearts
were darkened
therefore
listen to this
God gave
them up
to uncleanness
then in verse
24
God gave
them
excuse me
verse 25
who exchanged
the truth
of God
for a lie
for this
reason
God gave
them up
to vile
passions
and in verse
28
God gave
them over
to a debased
mind
to do those
things which
are not
fitting
the judgment
of God
on a life
that he
hates
is to
just give
them up
but we
know
what the
character
of God
is towards
those
whom he
loves
whom
the Lord
loves
he
chastens
he corrects
that is a
grace of
God
it's a grace
of God
because it
calls us
back
to himself
and God
is initiating
this process
so that his
mercy
and grace
can flow
that's God's
part
of this
equation
unfortunately
we don't
always respond
to the
initiating
work of
God
in our
lives
and so
we need
to ask
this next
question
how
does
comfort
come
and what
is my
response
how does
comfort
come
we find
that in
the next
several
verses
it says
in verse
3
a voice
cries
in the
wilderness
prepare
the way
of the
Lord
make
straight
in the
desert
a highway
for our
God
every
valley
shall
be
lifted
up
every
mountain
and hill
shall be
made low
the uneven
ground
shall become
level
and the
rough
places
plain
and the
glory
of the
Lord
shall
be
revealed
and all
flesh
shall see
it together
for the
mouth
of the
Lord
has
spoken
I was
beginning
to study
this
section
this
week
and of
course
it's
familiar
we know
that this
points to
John the
Baptist
ministry
the
ministry
of the
forerunner
who would
prepare the
way
for Christ's
ministry
and what
Christ would
accomplish
but I
began to
ask myself
this question
is this
referring to
the ministry
of John the
Baptist
in preparing
for Christ
or is
this
referring to
the work
of Christ
and what
he will
do
to prepare
us
for salvation
or is
this the
work that
we need
to do
are we
being called
to prepare
our own
hearts
our own
way
so that
we can
receive
the ministry
of the
gospel
which one
is it
I was
in a
quandary
so as I
look through
the book
of Isaiah
and as I
begin to
understand
the context
in which
these words
are given
I begin to
recognize that
it is talking
about the
preparation of
your heart
it is talking
about how to
make your
heart ready
for the
message
that's to
come
the message
of the
gospel
it comes
through
the preparation
of the
heart
that is
point number
one
this morning
how does
it come
it comes
through the
preparation
of the
heart
it's
repentance
versus
hardness
it is
repentance
versus
crookedness
he's calling
to these
people
the initiating
call and
proclamation
of God
in verse
one
now has
this echo
this voice
who is
calling his
audience
to further
preparation
God has
begun this
work
he has
initiated
comfort
and he's
made it
available
how does
comfort
come
it comes
as our
hearts are
ready to
receive it
now
living in
this day
and age
we are
maybe a
little distant
from what
would need
to happen
in that
ancient
culture
in terms
of preparing
a way for
a dignitary
or a king
making his
way from
one part
of the
country
or empire
to another
and any
of you
who have
driven in
places like
Pennsylvania
or Kentucky
or maybe in
the hills
of southern
Ohio
or Tennessee
you would know
that as the road
is making its
way through
the various
places
that there
are huge
sections of
the mountains
that are just
chopped away
and there
are these
chasms
where roads
can make
their way
across
and to do
it with
relative ease
and you know
that there are
some massive
bridges that
you cross
in order to
span from
one valley
to the next
this is the
concept that
we're talking
about
the same
kind of
thing would
take place
in the
ancient
culture
as a
king
was making
his way
from one
place
to the
other
he would
send
representatives
who would
prepare
the way
before him
in order
for his
path
and for
his trip
to be
as efficient
as possible
we're making
a way
for comfort
to come
and we make
the way
for comfort
to come
and it shows
up in
startling
reality
through the
ministry
of John
the Baptist
and if you
remember
anything
about John
the Baptist
ministry
you will
remember
that it
was a
ministry
of repentance
it was a
ministry
of calling
the people
to remember
their bankruptcy
in themselves
in calling
attention
to a bowed
heart
that was
receptive
to the
message
of Christ
there needed
to be
humility
there needed
to be
repentance
there needed
to be
a willingness
to receive
and to be
taught
understanding
the significance
of the sin
in their
life
making way
making
the comfort
of God
to have
accessibility
in their
lives
the difficulties
of life
can break
into
with salvation
and healing
that is
the message
that we're
hearing here
and we have
seen this
over and over
again
throughout our
study in the
book of Isaiah
we've seen
that humility
of heart
opens the
channel
for God's
comfort and
grace
to flow
why is that
because God
resists the
proud
and gives
grace
to the
humble
and as
God is the
God of
comfort
he will
come to
those
who humbly
receive him
and repent
and ask him
to do his
work in their
life
they say
we can't do
this on our
own
we need
something greater
than us
something better
than us
something outside
of us
to rescue
to save
to deliver
us
rescue comes
comfort
comes
through the
preparation
of the heart
but it also
comes notice
here at the
at the at
the verse 5
it comes
through the
presence of
the Lord
when the
way has
been made
we find
the glory
of the
Lord
shall be
revealed
and all
flesh
shall see
it
together
for the
mouth
of the
Lord
has spoken
when the
heart is
ready
the vacuum
has been
opened
and the
rush
of comfort
of God
who desires
to show up
in comfort
in your
life
rushes
to fill
the
vacancy
he rushes
to come
and to
give you
the comfort
that only
he can
bring
his presence
shows up
in your
life
in Luke
when he is
recounting
the message
and helping
to understand
helping make
the connection
between John
the Baptist
ministry
and the
words of
Isaiah
he recounts
the entire
passage
but he
changes
this last
phrase
instead of
saying the
glory of
the Lord
shall be
revealed
he says
all mankind
will see
the salvation
of God
we see the
correlation
between
salvation
and glory
John
puts it
this way
the word
became flesh
and dwelt
among us
and we
have seen
it
seen his
glory
the glory
is of
the only
son
from the
father
full
of grace
and truth
Jesus
came
to reveal
the glory
of God
he came
to bring
salvation
and thus
came
to bring
comfort
to us
so that
any who
participate
in him
through faith
will be able
to experience
the comfort
of God
so that all
flesh
will see
it
together
we will
experience
the comfort
of God
through
the salvation
that we have
through faith
in Christ
the purpose
of God's
comfort
is not
just
external
change
it is
an entire
transaction
of life
it is to
meet you
at the
deepest
levels
and to
change
everything
about you
and then
you'll be
able to
really
experience
the comfort
that God
has
to bring
that leads
us to
our
last
question
this
morning
what
does
comfort
accomplish
it's
great
that
comfort
is
available
it's
great
that
we
can
experience
through
Christ
but
what
does
comfort
do
what
does
it
accomplish
in
my
life
and
we
see
this
from
verses
6
to
31
and
I
just
want
to
point
out
three
specific
things
because
we
have
the
answer
in
verses
6
to
31
but
we
don't
have
time
to
read
the
whole
passage
so
I
want
to
just
pick
out
three
things
here
initially
and
then
we'll
finish
with
five
more
questions
first
we find
in
verses
6
to
8
that
it
leads
to
confidence
in
God
what
does
comfort
accomplish
well
it
leads
to
confidence
in
God
let me
read
verses
6
to
8
a
voice
says
cry
and I
said
what
shall
I
cry
all
flesh
is
grass
and
all
its
beauty
is
like
the
flower
of
the
field
the
grass
withers
the
flower
fades
when
the
breath
of
the
Lord
blows
on
it
surely
the
people
are
grass
the
grass
withers
the
flower
fades
!
But
the
word
of
our
God
will
stand
forever
what
had been
so
true
of the
people
of
Israel
is
that
this
call
to
comfort
in
God
this
call
to
security
in
him
had
been
so
misplaced
because
they
looked
for
comfort
and
security
and
confidence
in
every
other
avenue
they
found
through
their own
misfortune
that
all of
those
things
led
to
disappointment
their
confidence
in
Egypt
their
confidence
in
other
foreign
gods
their
confidence
in
superficial
worship
their
confidence
in
going
through
the
motions
their
confidence
in
raising
up
an
army
and
preparing
the
city
of
Jerusalem
all
of
that
didn't
matter
at
all
but
what
God
is
trying
to
help
them
understand
is
my
message
to
you
can
and
will
stand
it
stands
because
it
is
coming
from
the
enduring
word
of
God
man
will
fail
you
but
the
word
of
God
will
never
let
you
down
God
is
dependable
God
is
able
to
comfort
God
is
able
to
overcome
the
temporal
nature
of
what
we
find
to be
comfortable
and
to
bring
us
some
salve
for
the
moment
God
can
bring
the
eternal
and
enduring
comfort
of
God
to
bear
on
our
life
it
leads
to
confidence
in
God
second
it
leads
to
proclaiming
the
good
news
we
find
that
in
verse
9
notice
what
it
says
go
up
to
a
high
mountain
O
Zion
herald
of
good
news
lift
up
your
voice
with
strength
O
Jerusalem
herald
of
good
news
lift
it
up
fear
not
say
to
the
cities
of
Judah
behold
your
God
it
leads
to
proclaiming
the
good
news
notice
another
channel
of
proclamation
initiated
by God
and now
flowing
through the
prophet
and now
springing
up in
the
people
as
this
comfort
continues
to
make
its
way
and
touch
and
impact
the
lives
of
the
people
in
concentric
circles
we find
that those
who experience
comfort
gush
with the
good news
of God
this
morning
one of
my kids
came
bounding
down
the
stairs
and as
they were
looking
outside
the
window
they
were
singing
this
song
about
the
snow
it
just
kind
of
flowed
out
of
them
the
smile
on
their
face
and
the
spring
in
their
step
and
just
the
happiness
of
life
I
didn't
have
to
tell
them
to
do
that
it
was
just
gushing
out
because
of
their
love
for
the
snow
the
winter
time
that
is
what's
going
to
happen
in
the
life
of
a
person
who
is
so
deeply
impacted
by
the
grace
of
God
and
the
comfort
of
God
it
will
just
rush
out
of
you
kind
of
like
what
the
psalmist
says
in
Psalm
32
he
says
blessed
is
the
man
whose
transgression
is
forgiven
whose
sin
is
covered
this
gushing
out
of
praise
to
God
because
of
a
recognition
of
the
work
of
God
to
overcome
the
deficiencies
of
his
life
as we
evaluate
our
lives
what
usually
marks
your
speech
what
usually
comes
out
in
the
workplace
what
usually
marks
the
discussions
in your
home
or the
interactions
that you
have
is
it
this
praise
to
God
for
his
goodness
and
not
some
again
superficial
sappy
kind
of
artificial
praise
I'm
talking
about
deep
heartfelt
expression
of love
to
him
knowing
what
we
deserve
and
being
overwhelmed
with
his
grace
notice
it's
expressive
it's
public
it's
on
the
high
mountains
it's
lifting
up
your
voice
with
strength
not
being
afraid
but
it
centers
on
beholding
God
he
is
the
focal
point
for
praise
and
worship
for
those
who
have
come
to
grips
with
the
immense
mercy
of
God
in
their
lives
this
is
going
to
be
the
refreshing
life
giving
soul
satisfying
words
of
kindness
that
mark
us
as
people
will
be
people
who
are
committed
to
a
life
that
is
resting
in
him
and
speaking
of
him
and
as
people
see
our
lives
they
will
notice
the
distinctiveness
a
life
that
is
marked
with
peace
in
the
midst
of
hardship
you'll
say
what
is
it
about
that
person
they're
able
to
respond
that
way
when
life
is
so
hard
for
them
it's
the
comfort
of
God
or
when
there's
a
crisis
of
finances
in
your
life
and
the
people
looking
at
you
would
say
how
in
the
world
are
they
making
ends
meet
how
in
the
world
can
they
be
so
settled
so
comforted
so
at
rest
how
is
that
possible
in
their
life
when
!
things are
so
broken
and
what
points
to
their
life
is
not
an
inner
strength
but a
divine
strength
a strength
outside
of them
a peace
and a
comfort
that fills
them from
the outside
when there are
health issues
in your life
and there's
uncertainty
about the
future
and you're
sitting in the
hospital
you've been
there for
days
and you
don't know
what the
future
will hold
whether
things
are
going
to
turn
for
the
best
or
turn
for
the
worst
and yet
there's
still
this
settled
confidence
and peace
in life
that's
a testimony
to a
God of
comfort
a God
who saves
a God
who is
able
that's
when God
shows up
in our
lives
to help
make us
look
distinctive
as
God's
people
marked
by the
comfort
of
him
and
finally
it leads
to
commitment
of
waiting
on
him
a
commitment
of
waiting
on
him
this
isn't
easy
to
wait
on
him
my
guess
there
are
a lot
of
questions
in
your
life
as
there
have
been
in
mine
it's
not
easy
to
wait
on
God
because
I
wonder
if
he
really
cares
about
me
there
are
questions
that
come
to
mind
that
are
answered
in
the
remaining
parts
of
this
passage
I'm
going
to
pose
those
questions
to
you
this
morning
and
I'm
going
to
answer
those
questions
for
you
next
week
okay
because
we're
running
out
of
time
and
I
want
to
be
careful
the
first
question
and
we'll
pick
this
up
next
week
the
question
of
a
heart
that
is
wrestling
with
waiting
on
God
does
God
care
about
me
I
don't
know
anything
else
about
him
but
what
I
do
want
to
know
does
he
care
about
me
that
answer
shows
up
in
verses
10
and
11
God
cares
about
your
situation
the
second
question
is
this
does
God
know
what's
best
in
my
life
is
he
wise
enough
is
he
smart
enough
does
he
know
the
end
from
the
beginning
does
he
know
what
the
future
holds
is
God
wise
enough
and
can
I
trust
him
to
make
the
right
decisions
does
God
know
what's
best
we
find
that
answer
in
verses
12
to
14
the
third
question
is
this
is
God
able
to
help
me
he
might
be
he
might
care
about
my
life
he
might
know
what's
best
for
my
life
but
does
God
really
is
God
really
able
to
show
up
and
to
fix
my
crisis
we
find
that
answer
in
verses
15
to
26
question
number
four
is
God
watching
does
God
take
interest
with
the
things
that
are
happening
for
me
or
is
he
off
some
other
place
dealing
with
other
problems
because
those
problems
are
worse
than
my
problems
is
God
watching
we
find
that
answer
in
verses
27
and
28
and
the
fifth
question
will
God
help
me
if
I
trust
in
him
will
God
help
me
if
I
trust
in
him
is
he
faithful
is
he
victorious
will
he
give
me
the
inner
strength
to
persevere
and
the
answer
to
that
is
found
in
verses
29
to
31
and
as
you
can
imagine
all
of
those
answers
are
affirmative
God
will
do
all
those
things
for
you
and
because
of
that
you
can
wait
and
trust
in
him
and
you
can
experience
the
comfort
that
only
comes
from
him
do
you
know
it
have
you
tasted
it
are
you
enjoying
it
right
now
the
comfort
of
God
in
your
life
he
wants
it
for
you
come
back
next
week
and
we'll
finish
out
this
part
of
our
study
I
look
forward
to
sharing
this
it's
something
that God
has had
to work
in my
own
heart
for the
last
several
years
is
God
trustworthy
and
there
are
moments
in
life
where
we
know
who
God
is
we
know
what
he
can
do
and
all
we
have
to
do
is
just
wait
for
him
to
do
it
it's
certain
it
can
be
expected
and
anticipated
he
will
do
what
he
intends
to
do
in
your
life
he
is
faithful
he
is
God
the
question
is
will
we
step
back
and
wait
for
him
and
let
him
have
his
way
in
our
life
let
me
just
finish
with
this
encouragement
from
Isaiah
chapter
40
in
verse
28
have
you
not
known
have
you
not
heard
the
Lord
is
the
everlasting
God
the
creator
of
the
ends
of
the
earth
he
does
not
faint
or
grow
weary
his
understanding
is
unsearchable
he
gives
power
to
the
faint
and
to
him
who
has
no
might
he
increases
strength
even
the
youths
shall
faint
and be
weary
and
young
men
shall
fail
and
be
exhausted
but
those
who
wait
for
the
Lord
shall
renew
!
their
strength
they
shall
mount
up
with
wings
!
like
eagles
they
shall
run
and not
be
weary
they shall
walk
and not
faint
that
is what
the comforting
God
intends
to do
for your
life
will we
let him
we have
to wait
and let him
show up
so that he
can work out
his plans
instead of
us getting
in his way
but requires
some confidence
in the now
comforting
in the here
and now
so that we
can anticipate
the power
of God
and the
presence
of God
showing up
later
it will
come
if we
let him
let's
pray
God we
thank you
that you
are the
God of
all comfort
who intends
to comfort
your people
thank you
for
the ways
in which
you pursue
comfort
for us
the ways
in which
you make
comfort
available
to us
through the
pardoning
and through
discipline
help us
Lord
to be
those
who
prepare
our
hearts
make it
ready
through
repentance
and make
way
and accessibility
for your
presence
to show up
in our
lives
so that we
can experience
your comfort
and so that
we can
herald
the good
news
of our
great
comforting
God
we pray
in Jesus
name
amen
this morning
if you need
comfort
we have
comfort
to give
not because
we have
comfort
at our
own
disposal
but because
God has
made his
comfort
available
to us
through
faith in
him
we would
love to
pray with
you and
encourage
you
however
you need
it
we'd love
to just
hear
what your
burdens
might be
and to
try to
provide
some
measure
of
comfort
to you
from
the
Lord
maybe
this
morning
you don't
know
Jesus
as your
Savior
and today
is the
day
where you'd
like
you'd like
to make
him the
Lord of
your life
and experience
that comfort
in a fresh
new way
so as we sing
this song
why don't we
stand
holy