007 The Path to Comfort

Psalms 119:49-56

September 25, 2011

Well tonight let’s talk a little bit about comfort and how to get it.

None of us would underestimate the importance of comfort in our lives.

From everything from financial security, to physical comfort,

To spiritual comfort, we all want it.

You could possibly argue that at times we even seek after comfort too much,

And run the risk of allowing our desire for comfort

To actually compromise our desire for obedience.

Certainly we never desire to choose comfort over obedience to God.

But that doesn’t mean that comfort is a bad thing.

The fact is comfort comes from God.

2 Corinthians 1:3-7 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ. But if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; or if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which is effective in the patient enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer; and our hope for you is firmly grounded, knowing that as you are sharers of our sufferings, so also you are sharers of our comfort.”

God gives comfort, and so if God gives it, it cannot be a bad thing.

Furthermore in that passage you see how badly Paul wanted it,

Not only for himself, but also for the Corinthians.

He desired comfort.

And so do we

When things happen and life hurts it is our desire to be comforted.

When others suffer or our hurt, it is our desire to give comfort.

BUT WHERE DO YOU FIND IT?

Well, because of our present study, you already know

That we are going to talk about comfort coming through the Word of God.

And so that is no surprise.

What I want to show you more specifically tonight

Is some of the areas where God’s word is able to give you comfort.

And I want you to see that in those areas

God’s Word is the only thing that will work.

#1 HE IS AFFLICTED

Psalms 119:49-50

What we notice is that the Psalmist initially begins

With a request or a plea.

“Remember the word to Your servant, in which You have made me hope.”

Obviously the Psalmist is banking on a promise from God, to be fulfilled.

He has placed his trust in something God has said,

And now he is asking God to “Remember” what He said.

Now obviously the Psalmist is not concerned that somehow

God might have forgotten the promise He made.

Rather, what we see here is that what God said is so important to the Psalmist, that he can’t forget and he continually brings it up before God.

Carrie and I don’t tell our kids when they are going to maw-maw’s… they will drive you crazy.

That is where this Psalmist is.

He isn’t actually worried that God had forgotten, but what God said was so important to him, he just can’t quit focusing on it.

This Psalmist is depending on what God said as that which had to work.

WHY?

(50) “This is my comfort in my affliction…”

This Psalmist finds himself afflicted.

We don’t know how, we don’t know to what degree.

But however he was afflicted, we know he wanted comfort,

And that comfort depended upon God fulfilling what His word said.

“This is my comfort in my affliction, that Your word has revived me.”

It lets us know exactly where the affliction had taken this man.

Whatever the affliction, it had obviously overwhelmed him.

His affliction had obviously thrown him down and caused him to despair.

We know that because he had to be “revived”.

And when he was down, it was God’s word that did the reviving.

Picture a man depressed in prison…clinging to the words of the warden

“Two months and you are free.”

That is our Psalmist.

He was on the brink, in despair, and yet God’s word lifted his spirits,

Gave him hope, and revived him.

Now certainly we can identify with the Psalmist.

We know that affliction comes in this life.

Listen to Paul recount his:

2 Corinthians 1:8-9 “For we do not want you to be unaware, brethren, of our affliction which came to us in Asia, that we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life; indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves so that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead;”

2 Corinthians 4:7-10 “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves; we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.”

2 Corinthians 7:5 “For even when we came into Macedonia our flesh had no rest, but we were afflicted on every side: conflicts without, fears within.”

I suppose we could go on to talk about Job, or Daniel, or even Christ

And see the various types of affliction.

But I don’t have to keep giving you examples,

For you already know what it is.

We have all struggled in various ways.

Financially Physically

Emotionally Mentally

Beyond that we understand persecution from the enemy,

And even discipline from our heavenly Father.

BUT WHERE DO YOU GET COMFORT WHEN YOU ARE AFFLICTED?

WHERE DOES YOUR HOPE COME FROM?

The word of God.

How many times have we heard these two verses quoted?

Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.”

Romans 8:28 “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”

I love 1 Peter.

1 Peter 5:10 “After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.”

And I know often times we quote:

Philippians 4:6-7 “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Now obviously reading those promises don’t instantly cause the affliction to stop, but they do give hope that revives the soul.

They do bring hope, they do bring revival of the soul.

This Psalmist knew that.

God’s word revived him in the midst of his affliction.

He is afflicted

#2 HE IS DERIDED

Psalms 119:51-52

There we see another one of his problems.

“The arrogant utterly deride me,”

“deride” means “to mock or make fun of”

And so not only is he experiencing affliction,

But he is also made fun of or mocked because of it.

And this mocking comes at the hands of “the arrogant”

WHO ARE THE ARROGANT?

They can be those who have life at ease:

Psalms 73:3-9 “For I was envious of the arrogant As I saw the prosperity of the wicked. For there are no pains in their death, And their body is fat. They are not in trouble as other men, Nor are they plagued like mankind. Therefore pride is their necklace; The garment of violence covers them. Their eye bulges from fatness; The imaginations of their heart run riot. They mock and wickedly speak of oppression; They speak from on high. They have set their mouth against the heavens, And their tongue parades through the earth.”

They can also be those who love sin:

1 Corinthians 5:1-2 “It is actually reported that there is immorality among you, and immorality of such a kind as does not exist even among the Gentiles, that someone has his father's wife. You have become arrogant and have not mourned instead, so that the one who had done this deed would be removed from your midst.”

They can be those who are self-righteous:

Luke 18:11 "The Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself: 'God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.”

And I’m sure it can be any number of other types of people.

What is clear here is that the arrogant in this case

Mock his stubborn refusal to abandon God’s word.

Which is why he says:

“Yet I do not turn aside from Your law.”

Obviously part of their mocking is that

They see him as foolish for clinging to God’s word.

But despite their mocking he will not leave it.

WHY?

(52) “I have remembered Your ordinances from of old, O Lord, and comfort myself.”

He won’t leave it because that is where he finds comfort

In the midst of being derided.

When he gets mocked by other people,

He turns to God’s word to soothe the sting.

We know that derision and mocking are all a part of this life as well.

Consider Paul again:

2 Corinthians 10:10-11 “For they say, "His letters are weighty and strong, but his personal presence is unimpressive and his speech contemptible." Let such a person consider this, that what we are in word by letters when absent, such persons we are also in deed when present.”

· Who can forget the Athenians calling him an “idle babbler”

· We remember Lot being called “an outsider” and “a judge” by the homosexual mob at Sodom.

· Abraham was called “The Hebrew” which means “one who crosses over”. (In today’s term we would call it a “wet-back”)

· Even Jesus was mocked and scorned as a servant of Beelzebul.

We all know what it is to be mocked and scorned.

And we know that words of mocking can sting.

Whoever said, “Sticks and stones can break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” Obviously never got mocked.

James said it better:

James 3:8 “But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison.”

Paul quoted the Old Testament passage about sinners and said:

Romans 3:13 "THEIR THROAT IS AN OPEN GRAVE, WITH THEIR TONGUES THEY KEEP DECEIVING," "THE POISON OF ASPS IS UNDER THEIR LIPS";

That is deadly force.

Point being mocking hurts,

And we have all felt the scorn of another person’s tongue.

But when you are mocked, where do you go for comfort?

To the Word of God.

How often we read passages like:

Matthew 5:11-12 "Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. "Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

1 Peter 4:14 “If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.”

There is comfort when we are mocked and go to God’s Word

And find that derision only indicates that we are living correctly.

It is comforting to know that being derided

Is a consequence of Godly living.

No wonder the Psalmist said, “I have remembered Your ordinances from of old, O Lord, and comfort myself.”

He is Afflicted, He is Derided

#3 HE IS FRUSTRATED

Psalms 119:53-55

It could be that the word frustrated is an understatement.

“Burning indignation has seized me because of the wicked, who forsake Your law.”

The Psalmist isn’t just frustrated, he is fighting mad.

He is surrounded by those who do not obey God’s Word,

And as one who loves God’s Word, that infuriates him.

Certainly we have seen this sentiment in Scripture.

Just watch Jesus clear out the temple.

Or listen to Jesus with the fickle crowd:

Matthew 17:14-18 “When they came to the crowd, a man came up to Jesus, falling on his knees before Him and saying, "Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is a lunatic and is very ill; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water. "I brought him to Your disciples, and they could not cure him." And Jesus answered and said, "You unbelieving and perverted generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him here to Me." And Jesus rebuked him, and the demon came out of him, and the boy was cured at once.”

Or listen to Stephen before the Sanhedrin

Acts 7:51-53 "You men who are stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears are always resisting the Holy Spirit; you are doing just as your fathers did. "Which one of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? They killed those who had previously announced the coming of the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become; you who received the law as ordained by angels, and yet did not keep it."

Or listen to Paul with the Galatians

Galatians 3:1 “You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified?”

Galatians 4:20 “but I could wish to be present with you now and to change my tone, for I am perplexed about you.”

· Paul was frustrated with this church that wouldn’t follow the truth.

· Stephen was frustrated with Jewish leaders who wouldn’t obey God.

· Jesus was frustrated with the fickle crowds who wouldn’t believe.

That is where this Psalmist is.

He loves God’s Word, he wants to obey God’s Word,

But he is surrounded by those who won’t, and he is angry about it.

Certainly we have had times of frustration and anger like that.

It is extremely frustrating to try and obey Scripture

Only to be opposed by those who are not interested.

And that type of frustration can lead to

Anger, Bitterness, and even Discouragement.

It was this type of opposition that had Timothy wanting to quit at Ephesus.

So when you are frustrated, where do you go for comfort?

The Word of God

(54-55) “Your statutes are my songs in the house of my pilgrimage. O Lord, I remember Your name in the night, And keep Your law.”

A “pilgrimage” is a journey.

He saw these moments of opposition and frustration

As part of the journey he was on.

And during those times of frustration

He runs to God’s “statutes” which become his “songs”.

And even through the dark of “night”

It is his remembrance of God and God’s Word that sustains him.

And how we get comforted when we turn to Scripture!

We get comfort to know that our obedience is rewarded by God.

Philippians 1:27-30 “Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel; in no way alarmed by your opponents — which is a sign of destruction for them, but of salvation for you, and that too, from God. For to you it has been granted for Christ's sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake, experiencing the same conflict which you saw in me, and now hear to be in me.”

We even get comforted to know that the opposition of the disobedient will not last forever.

2 Thessalonians 1:6-10 “For after all it is only just for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, when He comes to be glorified in His saints on that day, and to be marveled at among all who have believed — for our testimony to you was believed.”

And we get comfort to know that God is working and that their hearts can be changed.

This is what Paul told Timothy when he was frustrated:

2 Timothy 2:24-26 “The Lord's bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.”

And that is encouraging.

That is what this Psalmist found.

If he was afflicted, he went to God’s word for revival and hope.

If he was derided, he went to God’s word for comfort.

If he was frustrated, he went to God’s word for joy and victory.

#4 HE IS SATISFIED

Psalms 119:56

I love how this statement reads.

“This has become mine,”

He speaks of ownership.

He speaks of something secure and steady.

“This has become mine, That I observe Your precepts.”

What we find here is the pinnacle of assurance.

We find the ultimate encouragement and comfort.

He knows who he is, and he knows what he is

Because of his obedience.

Because of his obedience he knows that he and God

Are on the same side.

And there is no greater comfort than the assurance of knowing

That you and God are on the same side.

I’ll never forget the black preacher at a funeral here a few months ago.

“I hear a lot about insurance and how Geico can give you insurance. But what you really need is the blessed assurance”

He is right.

Insurance is man’s version of security.

Assurance is God’s version of security.

And the assurance of God is the ultimate comfort.

What can be better than to know that God is for you and that God will not forsake you?

What can be better than to know that God is on your side, and that you are on God’s side?

This man knows this, WHY?

Because he observes God’s precepts.

1 John 2:3 “By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments.”

That is great affirmation!

John 14:15 "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.”

John 15:10-11 "If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love. "These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.”

It is great confirmation to know that I am God’s and He is mine.

Furthermore this is the greatest comfort of all.

· Affliction is bad, but it is only temporary

· Derision is bad, but it is only temporary

· Frustration is bad, but it is only temporary

But doubt in regard to eternity is a horrible way to suffer.

This Psalmist doesn’t have that

Because God’s Word proves to Him that He is God’s.

“This has become mine, That I observe Your precepts.”

The Psalmist clings to that above every other hope.

And there is nothing greater than to know God is on your side.

Psalms 73:25-28 “Whom have I in heaven but You? And besides You, I desire nothing on earth. My flesh and my heart may fail, But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. For, behold, those who are far from You will perish; You have destroyed all those who are unfaithful to You. But as for me, the nearness of God is my good; I have made the Lord GOD my refuge, That I may tell of all Your works.”

Habakkuk 3:17-19 “Though the fig tree should not blossom And there be no fruit on the vines, Though the yield of the olive should fail And the fields produce no food, Though the flock should be cut off from the fold And there be no cattle in the stalls, Yet I will exult in the LORD, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation. The Lord GOD is my strength, And He has made my feet like hinds' feet, And makes me walk on my high places.”

There it is from those men as well.

Comfort in the most trying of situations,

Only because they knew God was near.

That is the secret to comfort,

And it all hinges upon what you do with the Word of God.

Do you want hope in affliction? – run to God’s Word

Do you want comfort in derision? – run to God’s Word

Do you want joy in frustration? – run to God’s Word

Do you want peace in eternity? – run to God’s Word

I’m all about comfort, even in this life.

And Scripture is clear that God’s Word is the only place we find it.

So run to it and be comforted.

Psalms 119:105 “Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.”